Change Agent - The Body of Christ with Pastor Marci Glisson

We talked about the reigning church, Amen.

On Sunday. We're going to talk a little bit

about that tonight as well, about being in the church, being

in the body of Christ, the reigning church.

We're not just talking about the building.

You are the church, you are the body of Christ.

So if, if, if we're going to reign, that means you're going

to reign. That means you're going to

reign. Amen.

That ought to be exciting to know that you have authority.

Come on. To know that you have dominion

glory to God. To know that you have God's

love. To know that you have supreme

intelligence on the inside of you.

To know that you are a carrier of His glory everywhere you go.

Come on. How much more exciting of a life

can we be living? Somebody ought to be happy about

it. Glory to God.

So tonight we're going to say that you are change agents.

You're a change agent. Glory to God.

Your own assignment. Come on your own assignment.

And it's going to take you to be able to recognize that you are a

person, come on, that can reign and actually bring change into

the world. Amen.

And so, you know, when Pastor talked about the reigning church

a couple of Sundays ago, he read a couple of quotes from a few

people. And I want to read those tonight

because I want to go from where we saw on Sunday all that the

church, all the characteristics of what the church looks like

and should have and should be operating in to looking at what

the first church actually looked like.

OK. But the couple of quotes that he

read, there was one from Sunday Adelaide and he said this, the

Church of Jesus Christ was planted in this world to be a

change agent. Say I'm a change agent.

We have to get this. We're change agents.

Say I'm a change agent. I'm going to make you talk back

to me tonight. Now, any other time I wouldn't

want you talking back to me, but I want you talking back tonight

because I think you're falling asleep on me.

OK, So what are we going to be? So he said.

That the Church of Jesus Christ was planted in this world to be

a change agent for the transformation of the world and

of the particular society where the church is located.

Amen. So again, everywhere that his

church, the church that he's building that's operating in all

the attributes that we talked about on Sunday, 10 attributes,

we should be seeing communities transformed, transform.

Not just putting a building and having a place where we can just

religiously come to know this church ought to be radically

changing and transforming their communities and the lives of

people around us. Amen.

Say I'm a change agent. And then the other quote that he

read was from Martin Luther King Junior.

We just celebrated that on Monday, right?

It says this. He said this.

He said there was a time when the.

Church was very powerful. There was a time when it was

powerful, and we're going to see that tonight.

But I'm saying it's time that we see the powerful church rise

today. Amen.

The reigning church rising up today, producing the power that

we saw in the book of Acts. And so it says this, that there

was a time when the church was very powerful.

It was during that period that the early Christians rejoiced

when they were deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed.

And we're living in a world of Christianity in the Western

church today that wants no suffering, no suffering.

And he goes on to say, for what they believed in those days, the

church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the

ideas and principles of popular opinion.

It was the thermostat that transformed the morals of

society. And then Ed Savoso says this.

The 1st century ecclesia or ecclesia introduced a radical

and revolutionary social agenda that launched a process that

literally changed the world. Say I'm a change agent.

Literally change the world with the subsequent

institutionalization of the Church, however.

What was a? Lifestyle that implemented Jesus

agenda became programs for good deeds that fall short of

transforming society. That's why we said at Anchor

Faith Church, we are not going to be reduced to a social

service. We're not just going to do good

deeds just to do good deeds. We're doing the good deeds to

see transformation in people's lives.

And there is a difference. There is a difference.

And then the last quote that he read was this from Sunday

Adelaide. Again, it says people are

supposed to come to church and be aware that they are being

trained and recruited. The church is supposed to be a

place like a classroom or a war room where you are being

equipped to go out from Monday to Friday and fight for the

cause of the Kingdom of God. Not like fighting demons that's

already been defeated thousands of years ago, but fighting to

bring back righteousness and rules of the Kingdom of God into

every sphere of influence. That means everywhere we go, you

should bring the Kingdom of God. You should have an influence in

those that you are with every single day.

Amen. You should have an influence

where people see your life and see the Kingdom, see the

Kingdom, say I'm a change agent. And so we know this is what I

want to talk about. We know that in Matthew, Luke,

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We know that Jesus.

Went about what? Healing, bringing the Kingdom of

God everywhere he went and he was our representative and

pastor has said this before. Jesus didn't come to the earth

to show you what he could do. He came to the earth to show us

what we can do, what we can do through Him, what we can do

through Him. And so everything that we see in

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John that Jesus did, we can do and

have been actually commissioned to do, commissioned to do as a

believer. And so we know that while he was

here, he sent forth those who would believe in him, which were

called his what disciples. He sent them out and he wanted

them to demonstrate the Kingdom of God to everyone they would

come in contact with, just like he did.

So let me remind you of a couple of those scriptures in Matthew

2816 through 20 out of the amplified, it says Now the 11

disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had

designated, and when they saw him, they worshipped him.

But some doubted that it was really him.

But Jesus came up and said to them, all authority, say all

authority, all power. Absolute rule, listen to this,

in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Go therefore, and make disciples of what all nations help the

people to learn of me. Believe in me, obey my words,

baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the

Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe everything that I

have commanded you. And lo, I am with you, always

remaining with you perpetually, regardless of circumstances and

on every occasion, even till the end of the age.

So he said for his disciples to go out, come on into all the

world and demonstrate and demonstrate.

This was not just as you know, I read that quote by Sunday.

This is not just a teaching center.

This is an equipping center and we know the difference between

teaching and equipping, don't we?

We've been taught that very well here when Pastor did a

three-year series on equipped, right?

So it's one thing for you to have the knowledge of what you

are to do, but it's another for you to actually go out and do it

and demonstrate it when you go out.

So here we see that he commissioned them to go out and

demonstrate and gave them absolute authority, the same

authority that he had. He gave them to go out and to

do, to go out and to demonstrate wherever they were going Right

now look at March 16. Mark 1614 through 18 says this

out of the amplified. Later Jesus appeared to 11

disciples themselves as they were reclining at the table, and

he called them to account for their unbelief and hardness of

heart. Isn't that interesting?

Because they had not believed those who had seen him after he

had risen from the death. And he said to them, Go into all

the world and preach the gospel to all creation.

He who has believed in me and has been baptized will be saved

from the penalty of God's wrath and judgement, but he who has

not believed will be condemned. And then he goes on to let us

know. These signs will accompany those

who have believed. So this is for those who believe

all believers. These are going to accompany.

If you are a believer, these are the signs that should be

accompanying you. And he goes on to say, in my

name, what will they do? Cast out demons.

They will speak with new tongues, they will pick up

serpents. And if they drink any deadly

thing, it will not hurt them. They'll lay hands on the sick

and they will get well. So all of these ought to be a

demonstration of what we who believe as his disciples ought

to be doing, just as Jesus did and demonstrated what he did in

the earth. Amen.

Now let's go over to because we are living in, you know, talking

about with the reigning church. We are living in what they

called the church age, OK, or what they call the church

dispensation. Another thing you could call it

is the age of grace. We are living still in that

dispensation. And when did that dispensation

start in the book of Acts? So if we want to see a clear

picture of what the church is supposed to look like, we read

out of Ephesians 4 on Sunday and gave 10 attributes of what the

church was to look like out of Ephesians chapter 4.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

But now we can see out of the book of Acts on the 1st with the

first Church, and when it was established we can see what it

looked like. And we can ask ourselves as

believers, are we producing what the church was supposed to be

producing? Are we attending a church that

we can see the demonstrations of what the book of Acts looks

like? Because that is still the

dispensation of the church. And the very first church was in

the book of Acts. And they call that a precedent

setting event when they go to, you know, do all the theological

words that they use in describing.

You know things, I don't know all the theological terms, but

you get my drift, OK. It's a precedent setting event.

That means that that is how it started and that is how it

should remain until he returns. OK.

And so I want to read because I read the quote from Ed Savoso

about the 1st century ecclesia. OK, but I want to read first

before we go to the book of Acts.

I want to read, I want to read what Rick Renner said about He's

a Greek scholar and he talked about the ecclesia again, the

church age, the church dispensation, the age of grace,

and he broke it out in the Greek and this was his definition.

Of what the? Ecclesia look like or what it

can be described as OK, and the Greek and the classical Greek,

and it's very important that we read it to see how important it

is. That you were chosen and invited

to be a part of his Church of his body, the word ekklesia when

you break it out literally when he talks about the call.

That it was a personal invitation as where you can see

where they were personally invited in in Matthew to the

marriage feast. Remember those Scriptures and

this is the this is the, you know, the context of when he

broke out one of these words that went in that word ecclesia

was it was a privilege and honor that you were invited and

chosen. That's why he said, I chose you.

I chose you. I chose you.

I invited you to be a part of my Church of my body.

I chose you to be a part of it. And so he says this, it is an

entire assembly of individuals who are called out, called

forth, separated, and who therefore hold a position of

honor and privilege. That's why I don't understand

why we can't be more excited when we come through these doors

and honor and privilege that He called us out of darkness.

He called us, invited us, drew us by His Spirit to be a part of

His body, the Church, a position of honor and privilege.

A body of believers, as called out citizens of heaven, who are

to apply God's laws in the affairs of the earth, and to be

invited to this distinguished body in both an honor and

privilege. And then in the classical Greek,

it denotes, which we've been taught here at Anchor Faith

Church, it denotes an assembly of citizens who are invited to

participate in a closed assembly.

It was a privileged assembly to deal with the laws, business,

society, customs, culture, judicial matters.

God expects the church to exert its spiritual influence in every

arena of society in which it exists.

This emphatically tells us it was never God's intention for

the church to be a small group of silent, unnoticed people who

gather quietly together to discuss religious affairs.

This power packed word of God's original intention was for the

church to exercise a voice of influence in private and public

life. He ordained the Church with his

own authority to rule and reign in the earth.

His divine plan is. That His called out ones would

exercise spiritual authority to dominate over the powers of

darkness in every place where the Church is established.

That is what the word Ecclesia means and it's time that we

change our heart towards His Church and towards His body and

towards His bride. It is a privilege and it is an

honor to be a part and participate every day in what He

has privileged and honor us come on to be a part of.

And honestly, it's sad when I hear people disregard it.

It's sad. It's.

Grieving the reigning church is a privileged place to be a part

of and we have an assignment in the church.

And so Matthew 1618, you know, pastor, read the Scripture.

Matthew 1618 through 19. It says this, I will say to you

that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my

church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.

And Pastor always reads it out of the Passion translation as

well, because it reads it correct according to the

classical Greek of what Rick Renner described, the ekklesia.

And it means I give you the name Peter a stone.

And this truth of who I am will be the bedrock and foundation of

which I will build my. Church my legislative assembly

and that's exactly the word that ekklesia describes in the

classical Greek and the legislative assembly called out

ones that will come together to hear from God to then what put

to practice what we're hearing the Kingdom of God should look

like. Isn't that what he told us in

Matthew chapter 6? Our Father, who art in heaven,

Matthew 6 · chapter mention

hallowed be your name, your Kingdom, your will be.

On earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

And that's what He intended for His church to be doing while we

are remaining in the earth. Hallelujah.

Now let's look at Book of Acts. In the Book of Acts chapter 1,

Acts 1 · chapter mention

we know one through 8. It says this was the first

account composed about all that Jesus began to do and teach

until the day when he was taken up to heaven, and after he had

by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom he had

chosen. There's that word chosen, He

invited he chose them to participate in what he was

wanting to do in the earth to these he also presented himself

alive after his suffering by convincing proofs and appearing

to them over a period of 40 days and speaking.

Remember this is after Jesus had died on the cross and he he rose

up and he began to appear to them over a period of 40 days

speaking to them things concerning what the Kingdom of

God and he gathered them together.

He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the

father had promised which he said you had heard of from me

for John the Baptist with water, but you will be baptized with

the Holy Spirit not many days from now.

So when they had came together, they were asking him saying,

Lord, is it at this time you are going to restore the Kingdom of

God to Israel? And he said to them, It is not

for you to know the times or the epochs which the Father has

fixed by His own authority, but verse 8.

But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,

and you shall be my witnesses, both in Jerusalem, Judea,

Samaria, and even unto the remotest parts of the earth.

In Acts chapter 1, He he appears to them, actually He appears to

Acts 1 · chapter mention

over 500 people, 500 followers that had followed him while he

was still alive in the earth. He appeared to 500 people,

right? And he told them all, he told

them all to wait. OK, he told them all to wait,

but and he told them why so that they could receive the Holy

Spirit and then in verse 14 listen to this of Acts one.

It says these all with 11 mind were continually devoting

themselves to prayer along with the women and the mother of

Jesus and his brothers. I like to say this because, you

know, if you're a Catholic, you need to know that Jesus's mother

Mary was filled with the Holy Spirit, baptized with the Holy

Spirit, and prayed in other tongues.

She was there in the upper room waiting with everyone.

OK, and so anyway, here we see they all went to obey what he

had told them to do. They were all in one mind

praying, devoting themselves to prayer.

And then it says, And at this time Peter stood up in the midst

of them, and gathering about 120 persons was there together.

This is what I wanted to know. He appeared to over 500 and

something. Only 120 obeyed him and showed

up and waited. So they didn't get it.

They didn't get it. They didn't get it.

I'm not saying they didn't just get the baptism of the Holy

Spirit. They didn't get it.

Only 120 got it. They only got it.

And so think about that. So anyway, here, now go on.

This is Acts Chapter 1. So now we're moving on into Acts

Acts 1 · chapter mention Acts 2 · chapter mention

Chapter 2. And verses one through.

Four. And he said this now when the

day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

Who were they? That was the 120 marry.

All of those that he just talked about in Acts chapter 1 and

Acts 1 · chapter mention

verse 14. They were all waiting, it says.

And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent

rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were

sitting. We went there when we were in

Israel, we went to the place where they said that they were

in the upper room and it says this, and they appeared to them

as tongues, as a fire distributing themselves, and

they rested on each one of them, verse four.

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, began to speak

with other tongues as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

So they received what? God had told them they would

receive, they waited, they were obedient, they did what he said,

and they were praying. And one mind.

Waiting on the promise. And they got the promise.

They received it. OK, Now go on down to Acts

Acts 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2 and verses 37 through 40, 37 through 40.

Acts 237 through 40 says this. Now, when they heard this,

remember they were speaking in tongues and people were thinking

they were drunk. What did Peter do?

Peter stood up in the midst of the crowd because they were

thinking the people were drunk. And he said, it's only the third

hour. They're not drunk, as you

suppose, right? And then he goes on to say, It

says, Now when they heard this, they were pierced to their heart

and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, brethren, what

shall we do? You know what Peter said.

You need to repent. Each one of you and be baptized

in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,

and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is for you and your children and for all who

are far off. As many as the Lord God will

call to himself. Is the Lord God still calling

people to repent? Come on, even to this day, so

all it is for all the Holy Spirit was not done away with.

The Holy Spirit is still moving. If people are still getting

saved, then we are still going to get people filled with the

Holy Spirit, OK. And so then he goes on to say,

he said, and with many other words, he solemnly testified.

And kept on exhorting them, saying be saved from this

perverse generation and it's time for people to be saved from

this perverse generation. Y'all have an assignment.

I gave y'all an assignment on Sunday.

Do you remember what that assignment was?

Invite somebody to church for Sunday because we still need to

see people saved from a perverse generation.

Amen and filled. With the Holy Ghost, Amen.

So that they can have power to overcome the strongholds and all

the perversion that they've been participating in for years.

They need the power of the Holy Spirit at work within their

Life. OK, we're not ashamed of it now

and drop on down to verse 41. This is what I want you to see.

It says this now. Those who believed what Peter

had said were baptized and added to.

The church that day, This is the first church on the planet, 3000

was added to the very first church on the planet that day.

They were saved and they were filled with the Spirit of God

and the power of God. And this is when the church age

began and we are still in it. The church dispensation, the

church age, we are still in it. So this is a picture of what the

first, what the church looks like and should still look like

and still should look like. Now let's look here because I

can give you 11 characteristics. I gave you 10 on Sunday.

I can give you 11 characteristics of what we saw

in the first church. And we have to ask ourselves, is

this what we are still doing today?

As believers, are we doing some of these things?

I know we're doing it as a Church of Anchor Faith Church,

but as believers, are we doing these things because it's not

just about the church building, it's about the body of Christ.

It's the body of Christ. And so we have to ask ourselves.

So in Acts chapter 2, verses 42 through 47, it says this first

Acts 2:42–47

thing. They were continually, This is

the first church right after they all got saved and filled

with the Holy Ghost. It says they were continually

and faithfully devoting themselves to the instruction of

the apostles. One translation says teachings

of the Apostles. It means they were coming and

hearing the word, The teaching from the fivefold ministry

gifts. You will not grow as a believer

and mature if you are not connected to a local body

sitting up underneath the five fold ministry gift.

OK, and so he goes on to say they were continually and

faithfully. Are we continually and

faithfully being devoted to come to hear the teaching of the Word

or the instruction of the Word? Ask ourselves what else to

fellowship and we say this. This is why we have

opportunities to fellowship. And I'm going to say this, all

of them are important, not just one aspect of it.

If you come in and do nothing but come to church and receive

teaching and then leave and never fellowship with people.

I mean, you see them, people come through the doors, they

leave. I mean, you, they come in, sit

in the back, they leave, don't talk to anybody and that's it.

They're not going to be healthy. It wasn't designed for that.

Fellowship is important. We need one another.

That's why we have opportunities of fellowship where we have

men's fellowships and women's fellowships.

And I don't care how mature you are and how much you can't stand

to be around. You need it.

You need it. Period.

Or you'll turn into well, we won't talk about it, OK, anyway,

you need it, say I need it. Then he goes on to say, let's

look at another point. What eating meals together,

which has to do with fellowship but also has to do with.

Communion where he says breaking of bread.

So you ought to be a person that participates in communion, but

you better judge yourself rightly before you partake of

it. OK, communion's important, but

we ought to be judging ourselves before we take it because then

we could bring on judgement if we are in sin or we're having

something against somebody when you take him.

It's not just a religious exercise.

You remember Joshua did a great little teaching on that the

other day, right? And so eating meals together,

what else is important? Prayer, Prayer.

Corporate prayer. Well, I pray in my closet.

I pray individually. No, this is corporate prayer.

This is what this is talking about.

We ought to be participating somehow in corporate prayer.

It's important for you. It's important for you to grow

as a believer. So the next thing we see is that

in verse 43, it says a sense of awe was felt by everyone.

Here we go. We ought to be seeing many

wonders and signs and attesting miracles.

This ought to be #4 we ought to see miracles happening in

people's lives. We ought to be seen signs and

wonders happening. So we have teaching #1

fellowship #2 prayer #3 miracles, signs and wonders #4

#5 was communion, breaking of bread or the Lord's Supper, you

know, eating meals together. The next thing we see here is it

says in verse 44. And all of those who had

believed in Jesus as Savior were together, say together, not

separate, not doing their own thing.

They were all together, which also means unity because we're

going to see it somewhere else. It says they were all together

and had all things in common. So you know what that says to

me? They were.

There was unity in the community.

They were all together. There was unity in the community

of believers, unity in the community.

OK, and look what else it says. They were all together.

They had all things in common, considering their possessions to

belong to everyone as a whole. Not only were they in unity in

the community, you could also say they had the same mindset

because it one translation says they all believed and had

everything in common. But here we see now, now they

made a decision that nothing they had belonged to them, that

it was all available to the whole community.

At any time, any time of the Lord's disposal that the Lord

would say, you know what, you need to sew this into that

person or you need to give this to that person.

Commonwealth. We haven't even gotten there

yet, guys. So that was the next point.

Commonwealth so. Then he goes on to say in verse

45, it says they began selling their property and their

possessions and sharing the proceeds with all and the other

believers as anyone had need. They were involved in

Commonwealth and generosity. They were generous.

There was a generosity among the church.

OK, let's look at the next thing we can see because here it says

they were of one mind. It says day after day they met

in the temple area continuing here it was with one mind and

breaking bread in various private homes.

Remember there was no at that time church building because

people say we'll see this is that you should do church in

your home. This are cell group all this

stuff. No, it was because it was the

very. First church, they had not

erected an actual literal building yet, so they had to

meet in homes where they could be as the new church was being

established and people were getting born again in the city

so they would open up their homes and have services.

OK, and so he goes on to say they were eating meals together.

What is another thing that we ought to be seeing in?

The church is joy. It says they were together with

joy and generous hearts. So it and then it goes on to say

this praising God. So there ought to be a praise in

your mouth full of joy when you come in this place.

You ought to be, if you're a true believer that is supposed

to be representing what the First Church look like.

You shouldn't come in here somber and not be able to have a

praise in your mouth because it's demonstrates what they did.

Listen, they didn't even have, you know, they had just started

the church. They didn't have all the

teachings that we have today. There's no excuse.

They it was just automatic. It was automatic in their life.

It was automatic. They didn't have to have a band

strike up something to destroy that I have.

The world didn't give it to me. Come on, they just began to

praise God that they were saved, and they were filled with the

Holy Ghost, and they were seeing miracles, signs, and wonders

demonstrating before their eyes, and they were seeing all these

wonderful things in people's lives.

And they just began to open up their mouth and praise the Lord

on the Most High. Oh, His mercies are good.

His mercies are new every morning.

Come on, bless the Lord, Oh my soul and all that is with me.

I will rejoice. They didn't even have anyone to

teach them how to worship. Think about this.

And now we have to come in and get people pumped up just to be

able to open up their mouth with the Creator of heaven and earth

is living on the inside of us. Come.

On praise, joy was automatic

Hallelujah and says praising God continually.

And what else did it say? Having favor.

With all people, another translation for that word favor

was grace. There was actually one

translation that says there you were able to look among the

community and see great grace resting upon their lives.

Great grace resting upon their lives, being able to do the

things that they were seeing before their eyes unfold and

demonstrate to people's lives. There was great grace that they

could sell their possessions and belongings and had.

There was no one in need among them.

There was grace upon them and favor when people looked upon

them. There was such favor.

It says with all people, favor with all people, he'd said.

He said he'd give us favor with God and man.

With all people. And so here we see now what is

the next point? The next point we can see right

here. And the Lord kept adding to

their number daily those who were being saved.

That means the Church was increasing.

It was increasing. It was increasing.

Come on, it was being added to. It was increasing in number, but

not just in number. It also means it was more.

It was increasing in growth or maturity.

It was growing because the apostles now are teaching them.

And so now the church is increasing because it's being

added to, but it's also growing and maturing because now what

the Holy Spirit is at work come on in each and every one of

their lives. And now the apostles are

bringing the teaching that they need from the from the word of

God, right? And so they're added to

increasing, growing, or what we could call being built up.

They were being. Built by the architect.

Jesus, the head of the church, the life giving source of the

church, the ecclesia is a living, alive body, the body of

Jesus Christ. It is alive.

The breath of God breathe on it, and that is the Spirit of God.

And so anywhere where the Spirit is not welcome, it's a dead

body. And yet we have we have the Holy

Spirit, we welcome the presence of God.

And yet you want to sit sometimes and be a dead head?

Come on. I'm telling you, if we are going

to reign in 2025, we've got to get a glimpse of what you really

look like in the body of Christ and get a revelation.

Get a revelation. Get a revelation, guys.

Refuse to be lukewarm, refuse to be complacent.

Refuse to be come on a person that will not hunger and thirst

for the things of God. Refuse to be that.

When we've been given such greatness, the next thing I want

you to see and then we'll close down.

Maybe is here. I got to find it.

The last thing is, the last point is the fear of the Lord,

because it says in the book of Acts there was the fear of the

Lord among them, the fear of the Lord.

And this is where I think we're at with the Western church

because if you had real fear of the Lord, you would not grow

cold, complacent or lethargic or what we see people that fall

asleep. They'll realize just as Pastor

said, the time and the season that we're in and the fact that

we need to be change agents in the world.

Because I'm telling you, this thing is quickly wrapping up.

And so here again, this was Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

All of that that we just read was only in Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

And then you go right into Acts chapter 3 and you begin to see

Acts 3 · chapter mention

Peter demonstrates a miracle with a lame man, and then he's

arrested. He's arrested and thrown in

prison because of this lame man being healed.

OK, And then you move over into Acts Chapter 4.

Acts 4 · chapter mention

And verse 29 through 37 says this and now the Lord take note

of their threats because this is Peter was arrested and he gets

out and he says listen, he says now take note of their threats

and that you would grant your bond servants that they would

speak your word with all confidence.

One translation says boldness while you extend your hand to

heal that signs and wonders take place through the name of your

holy servant Jesus. And when they had prayed the

play. Where they were together was

shaken. Here they get filled again.

They're there and that shaken, and they get filled with the

Spirit and began to speak the word of God with boldness.

And the congregation of those who believe were of one heart

and so, and not one of them claimed that anything belonging

to them was his own, but all things were common property to

them. Here it is again.

And with great power the apostles were given testimonies

to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was

upon them all, for there was not one needy person among them.

All who were land owners or houses would sell them and bring

the proceeds and sales and lay them at the apostles feet and

they would distribute to each one who had need of it.

And then he went on and said who did it?

Now you know right after that. Then we go into Ananias and

Sapphira in chapter 5. Then you move on over into

chapter 6 and you see Steven being stoned and all these

things. I mean you want to go and read

the book of Acts? Come on.

I mean, it was all happening. In the book of Acts, everything

that we talked about, and what is so awesome about this is that

this was a demonstration of what the church ought to be looking

like. And I mean Peter, he went out

and let me look in Acts. Acts 8 was pretty cool too.

I wrote the whole book of Acts in the last couple of days.

Now go on to People were still getting filled or still getting

healed. People were getting born again,

baptizing them in the name of Jesus, laying their hands on

them, and they received the Holy Spirit again.

Now look at Acts 931. Says this so the.

Church throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed

peace without persecution, and they were being built up.

Here's that word. Remember we talked about supreme

intelligence. They were being built up in

wisdom, virtue and faith and walking in.

Here it is the. Fear of the Lord and in the

comfort and encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it continued to

grow in numbers. You see, that continued to grow

in numbers. And it was they had the fear of

the Lord. They had the fear of the Lord

now. You know it goes on to Acts what

it was the last book. 28 or 26 huh. 28 is the last chapter or

26 one of them anyway. 28 yes well here in Acts 17, this is my

last scripture See I did good I guess cuz y'all aren't any

mending me back and getting me going.

So Acts 17, four and eight says this.

And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along

with a large number of God fearing Greeks.

This is when he was beginning to minister to them and another

number of the leading women. But the Jews becoming jealous

and taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, formed a

mob and set the city in an uproar, and attacking the House

of Jason. This is when they came and drug

him. It says they were seeking to

bring them out to the people and when they did not find them,

they began dragging Jason and some of the.

Brethren before the city authority shouting, here it is,

say I'm a change agent. These men who have upset the

world have come here also. One translation says these men

that turn the world upside down have come here also.

They went out and we know they touched everywhere they went to

Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the

world. They did what Jesus told them to

do and he is still telling us the same thing to do today.

And he said they literally turned the world upside down.

And I want to know where the church is.

Is the church today turning the world upside down?

Do we look like what the book of Acts look like?

Do we look like this? Is he still raising the dead?

Come on, is he still healing the sick?

Is he still feeling people with the Spirit of God?

Come on. Is he still casting out demons?

Come on, is he still saving people?

This is what the reigning church looks like and we have to ask

ourselves, are we participating in everything that God said we

should be participating in, in His body and doing what He says

we would do? This was not just for the

apostles. This was not just for the

disciples then. It was not just for when it was

in the book of Acts. It is still happening today and

we ought to be so passionate and on fire saying I am going to be

the hands and the feet that are going to go out and turn this

world upside down for the Kingdom of God.

I am going to be a person come on of of sitting up underneath

the word. I'm going to be a person of

prayer. I'm going to be a person that

will fellowship with like minded people.

I mean, do you spend more time with your worldly friends than

friends in the church? Come on, these are the things we

ought to be asking ourselves. You know, when's the last time

you've seen a sign take place, a wonder plate take place for your

life? Come on, a miracle take place in

your life? When is are you?

Are you participating? I mean, I've seen people sit in

the church and not take communion.

Why? I asked myself, Are they

judging, having to judge themselves?

Is there unity among the brethren, among the community?

Or do you have alt with people? Come on, do you not want to be

around certain ones? You favor others?

He said We shouldn't favor any man or we have one mind.

Or do you sit there and think, well, that's Pastor's opinion?

No, actually it's the word of God.

So I don't have to agree with that.

I don't agree with that. I don't agree with the way they

do that. I don't agree with that.

Come on, this is what he says. In his scripture, OK, are we a

person that's yielding and hearing and listening to the

voice of God to say, hey, you've got that, share it with so and

so they are in need. Do you yield?

Do you give? Do you give?

Are you generous? Do you praise or do they have to

turn the wheel to crank you up when you walk through the doors?

Do you have joy in the midst of it all?

Because they were actually being persecuted.

They were being drug into jail. None of us are.

But do you know, there's people in Congo where Pastor is right

now that are still being persecuted?

And actually, he can't leave where they're at in that area

because it's too dangerous. So they've not gotten to go out

anywhere. Maybe that's why he's ready to

get home. They've had to stay at the

apartment because it's too dangerous.

OK, But yet we freely get to come and collect and be a part

of a community. Do you put more emphasis on your

baseball community? Do you put more emphasis on your

football community? Do you put more emphasis come?

On. Than.

Your church community. We've been given such an honor

and privilege to participate in His body and His church.

Let's not take it for granted.