A Healthy Church

Thank you for listening to the river.

Bend Church podcast Riverbend Church exists, Elite all people

to know love and live New Life in Jesus Christ.

We hope that you enjoy this message.

My name is Jared, if I don't know you.

I'm going to be here for the next several weeks and opening

the word of God with you. I'm so grateful for this

opportunity and I'm honored to be here.

I'm honored to get to walk alongside so many, great leaders

that are already here. God has established this place,

and I was just talking to many in the hall and again, decades

and Decades of service and in faithfulness to this place and

how God is building his church here.

He's Still building his church here.

Amen. Do we believe that he's not

finished, Ministry has not paused.

We're still after the same mission that we've always been

after to take the Gospel of Jesus, to the world around us

and to glorify Christ above all else.

That's that hasn't changed. We're still doing it and you are

the body that he has placed here for such a time as this and what

an honor, what an honor to be together, what an honor to be

able to worship God. Alien this place to sing his

Praises with our hands lifted if you want or not, if you're not

about that life, you know, you could still lift your praise in

your song to him freely here. And that's not able, that's not

a an option in other parts of the world.

So we don't take that for granted.

On this Lord's day, I'm grateful and honored like I said, and,

and I'm excited to jump into the word today.

We've been in this series and we will be in this series called

when the dust settles for the next several weeks.

And we're Just walking through the early church and looking at

what? What the apostles and the early

Christians did. After Jesus died rose again on

the third day and then ascended to the father.

What did they do when the dust settled?

What do we do when the dust settles?

And I'm excited today to look at what we see in the early church

as a healthy church. We get to look at what are the

marks of a healthy Church? And this isn't going to be

comprehensive today and there's other marks of a healthy church,

but in our text today in Acts chapter 2, we're going to see a

Acts 2 · chapter mention

few distinct principal foundational marks of a healthy

church. And I want you to think about

the body of Christ in the in a similar way as our physical

bodies, right? The the Bible teaches us that

the church is the body of Christ and in Ephesians and we know

that a body Coming together has many different parts and when

those parts are working properly, it's a healthy body.

Its operating in health. And I want you to think about

that in terms of your physical body, if someone was in here

today in this room and and was unhealthy or maybe even passed

out and and was in the floor, what would we do?

We we would we would not freaked out and I especially me and we

would ask for a doctor or we would ask for a paramedic or

anybody that knew what to do with this situation and the

first thing that the person the doctor or the paramedic would do

when they got to the body is what check the vitals, right?

I heard it. I think, I think I heard it or

maybe I just wanted to hear it and it got in there, you know,

how you do that with your wives? Husbands, anybody know.

Okay. Here, what you want to hear?

Check the vitals. What are the vitals?

We look at the blood pressure, heart rate, the rate of

breathing. If we have some other

instruments, we could check the body temperature, right?

Or at least put our hand over the head and see, and we're

measuring these vital signs to see how healthy or unhealthy the

body is and to know what to do next to bring about hell.

With to the body and in a similar way, we need to be aware

of the vitals in the church as the body of Christ.

So how do we know what to look for?

That's kind of the question. We're talking about a healthy

Church. How do we know what to look for?

I'm submitting to you today the in Acts chapter 2 at the end of

Acts 2 · chapter mention

the chapter, we're going to see some vital signs to look for,

and we're going to see that those basic fundamental marks of

a healthy. Church are applicable for us

today as well. But Before we get there, I want

to set the scene a little more from Acts chapter 2.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

There's an unbelievable miraculous scene.

Happening at the beginning of Acts chapter 2 where there's

Acts 2 · chapter mention

people from all across the Roman world coming together, and they

spoke different languages. But the Christians, there the

apostles in the Christians there, that their early church

at the time, was 120 people, and they began because they were

filled with the Holy Spirit. They began speaking in other

tongues which meant their other languages.

So the people that were there from all around the Roman world

were able to understand them because they were speaking in

their language. We see this hear how God was on

the scene in a miraculous and Powerful way to open up the ears

in the mines, to the people, to be able to hear about who God is

and what he had done. It's unbelievable.

And so the naysayers or the mockers were in the around this

scene, and We're saying, well, these guys must be drunk.

The these people must be drunk. There's no way like they're

going crazy. What's this?

All about and, and Peter steps up.

He stands before the people. And he says, listen men of

Galilee. He begins to preach the first

sermon of the early church and this is a, an amazing sermon.

He goes through Joel chapter 2, psalm 16 and Psalm 119, he's

Joel 2 · chapter mention

bringing in Old Testament prophecies and he's preaching,

NG to the people about what the prophets had spoken and how it

is coming to pass before their eyes in the person and work of

Jesus. He says, this is who Jesus is,

this is who he says he is, this is who he said, this is what he

said. He was going to do and God has

made him both Lord and Christ. So when you call upon the name

of the Lord to be saved, you're calling upon the name of Jesus.

That's what Peter was saying. And the Bible says that in that,

In This Moment In Time, the people that were there,

listening to Peter's words, were cut to the heart.

The word literally says, they were cut to the heart. because

the word of God is living and active and sharper than any

two-edged sword, and it pierces through the bone and the marrow

and the joints and it and it cuts through to the heart, And

in this moment as they were cut to the heart as they heard the

gospel and they heard what Jesus had done and they heard that

that he had come to save that, which was lost.

They asked a simple question in that moment.

What must we do? Brothers, Peter, John Brothers,

what? What must we do?

And Peter responded with great Simplicity right here.

He said, repent number one, repent.

We know that means turn from your sin, change your mind,

change your way, turn towards Jesus, turned to follow him.

Repent, admit that you are a sinner in need of a savior and

turn to that. Savior receive him by grace

through faith, repent, and be baptized, he said, two things he

told him to do repent. And be baptized, be baptized not

because baptism. Saves you, but because baptism

proclaims to the world. What has happened on the inside

of you that you've been buried with Christ and your old life is

gone and your new life is now here, you've been resurrected to

walk in newness of life with him.

So repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Peter said for the Forgiveness of your sins, This Promise is

for all who the Lord calls to himself and Peter preaches this

and And it says there, that 3,000 people 3,000 Souls were

added to their Fellowship that day.

Three thousand Souls were saved in that moment, they came

forward to be saved. And I want you to know before we

go any further. I just want to just want to make

it really clear. You don't have to wait for the

end of this time to respond in faith to be saved if you're here

in this room. And that Synopsis of the Gospel,

cut you to the heart, maybe you have questions about that but

you're feeling that cutting to the heart, you don't have to

wait to respond. In fact, if you ran up here and

interrupted me, I'd be just fine and everybody else would be to I

promise you will be alright. In all seriousness.

Don't leave this place today. If you've never responded in

faith to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, don't leave this place

today. If you have questions, ask them.

We have people here, pastors here that are ready to walk with

you, and show you from scripture.

What it means to be a follower of Jesus.

And to be forgiven of your sins, you know, that you need nothing

more than that, the Forgiveness of sins.

But imagine imagine that morning when they woke up, their church

was 120 people. And then later that evening when

they went to bed their church was now 3120 people and

everybody was there. They want they want to know more

they want to learn. They want to they've never

experienced this before that for the first time that they've been

made alive in there. The lights have been turned on

and and they need think they need more of it.

They don't know what to do. So they're not leaving, they

didn't like have a Revival and then send them home, you know,

they went to bed as a church of 3120, they Woke up as a decent

sized Church. The first church actually and

they were probably feeling overwhelmed by the fact that

there were 120 of them and then they were going to bed now.

As a megachurch 3120, how do you what do you do?

How do you organize that there were the apostles Worried about

how to strategically disciple. These people probably what were

they thinking, how could they, how could they organized this

group of people, especially when the New Testament had not been

written yet. It was dependent on what they

were teaching them as eyewitnesses to what Jesus had

done. What did they do when the dust

settled? Let's look at Acts.

Acts 2:42–47

Chapter 2 verses 42 to 47. If you have your Bible, open it

with us. If it's on your phone, pull it

up. And don't look at Instagram, you

know what I'm saying? Just stay with us right there in

the Bible app, if you don't have any of that, that's okay, it's

on the screen. But can I encourage you to have

a Bible because it's living an active.

And and I also want you to check and make sure that I'm teaching

it. Cuz it's not my words that are

going to do anything for you. I can promise you that it's his

word. Look at Acts 2 verses. 42 to 47.

Are we ready? It's all right.

We got some time if you want. I mean coach.

Chris Guthrie in the back? Don't think so.

But I think we got some time so you can you can have a little

more time getting there. Yeah, if you could give me my

clock, that'd be. I'm just playing.

I'm just playing. Are we ready?

Acts chapter 2, 42. All right.

Acts 2 · chapter mention

And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching They

devoted themselves to the fellowship and they devoted

themselves to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

And all came upon every soul and Many Wonders and signs were

being done through the apostles. All, this is a reverent fear,

that came upon every soul. This is beautiful and all who

believed were together and had all things in common, all things

in common with coming back to that.

And they were selling their possessions and belongings and

distributing the proceeds to all as any had need And day by day

attending the temple together and breaking bread in their

homes. They received their food with

glad and generous Hearts. Praising God and having favor

with all the people and the Lord added to their number day by

day. Those who were being saved day

by day, they were attending the temple.

They were doing all the things that they do praising God having

favor with all the people and day by day.

The Lord added to those who were being saved.

I want you to notice here, these basic, the basic things that

they were focused on. They paid attention to that they

practice, they even in the middle of the supernatural

things that were happening around them, they focused and

devoted themselves to ordinary things.

Verse 42 is where we're going to kind of break out our outline

for our time together today. Day, if you put verse 42 back on

the screen and they devoted themselves to the apostles,

teaching number one, and the fellowship.

Number two, they were devoting themselves to these things.

And then number three, we're going to put these two together

and you'll see why in a minute, the breaking of bread and the

prayers, these are Vital signs if you will for a healthy

Church. These are it's not comprehensive

remember I told you but it is vital to healthy Church in the

first one. The first question that we're

going to ask today, as we look at what a healthy Church looks

like, is how's the teaching? How's the teaching?

Let's look at the teaching and see if it's healthy.

I want you to notice Peters first word after he calls them

to listen, he steps up and delivers his first sermon and

the first, Teaching, if you will.

And he says, listen. Jesus.

He didn't roll out a big introduction.

Like I did a while ago, you know, he didn't work to try to

connect, he didn't develop a felt need and, and talk to the

people about what he was going to tell them.

He said, listen, men of Galilee, give me your ears and then his

first word is Jesus, of Nazareth.

Jesus. He simplifies and clarifies In

This Moment. The point.

And the priority. He was obedient to proclaim the

truth about Jesus. He says, this is who Jesus is,

this is who he said he was, and they lined up and this is what

he did and this is what he said he was going to do.

And this is what all the prophets said that he was going

to do and it lined up. And this is why that matters to

everything about your life, Peter delivers, the sermon

faithfully, and then they were cut to the heart.

That was the result of biblical truth being proclaimed.

They were cut to the heart. Can I tell you the content of

the church is biblical truth. The revealed word of God.

It must be. We must be faithful to teach the

Bible. There is no word of man.

That is going to do anything of Eternal significance in your

heart. We are, we are instruments in

the hands of An Almighty God, as he breathes his word, through

our mouths, The church has always been and still must be

built on teaching the Bible. Can I go a step further than

that? And say that I would be wasting

your time today. If I didn't bring the very word

of God before you to enrich your soul and we would be missing it

entirely. If we didn't teach the Bible, we

can't teach it from cover to cover every week, but we can

take parts of it and we can encourage you to go and see.

Study it for yourself through the week.

We must be faithful to teach it Peter.

The same one who preached the sermon is the same one who said

in his letter he said it's like spiritual food.

Look at First Peter 2:2, like newborn infants.

1 Peter 2:2

It's just like newborn infants. He's not calling you baby but he

says like newborn infants long for the pure spiritual milk long

like they do that, do that. That by it, you may grow up into

salvation. Aviation, wow, this pure

spiritual milk, that that by it. You may grow up into salvation

and like a fountain spring, you'll be able to overflow with

what you've consumed. Teaching those around you as

well because we can't miss the point of teaching.

We can't miss the point. It's not just for in here.

The purpose of teaching, is not just an internal practice so

that we can be built up. Look at Ephesians 4:11, one of

Ephesians 4:11

my favorite parts of scripture and God gave the apostles, the

prophets, the evangelists, the Shepherds, and the teachers, why

to equip the Saints, who are the Saints, Christian's.

You're like, I ain't no saint. You're Christian.

That's who Paul's talking about, right here, to equip the Saints

for the work of Ministry, for building up of the body of

Christ, the Saints to come together and be built up as the

body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of the faith

and the knowledge of the Son of God to mature, manhood to the

measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ so that we

may no longer here you go. Here's another reason.

Why so that we may no longer be children who are tossed to and

fro by the waves, the waves of life that toss and and carried

about by every wind of Doctrine, every wind of teaching and and

thought process in philosophy that surround us in the world

that we may not be tossed by them, because we know the truth

that we may not be tossed by human cunning by craftiness in

deceitful schemes. But rather we'd be speaking, the

truth in love but I'm I'm doing my best to speak the truth in

love and it's the purpose of it is not so that you would just

receive it and say, wow, that was great.

Purpose of it is so that you would have it to then.

Speak again speak the truth in love, we are to grow up in every

way into him. Who is the head into Christ?

So this speaking has something to do with our growing.

You see that from whom from Um Christ, the whole body joined

and held together by every joint with which it is equipped.

When each part is working properly.

I wish I had more time to preach.

This makes the body grow so that it is built.

This builds itself up in loved it, when every part of the body

is working, properly us growing together is dependent on us.

Growing individually. Yes, but also working together,

Other properly. Let me say it this way.

Our growth as a church is dependent on you growing.

Number one. Yes.

But it's also dependent on you bringing others into the church

to grow as well. It's not just about you and me

and us, and let's just come together.

It's about taking this truth, in this love and disgrace to the

world around us. How's the teaching may be?

One of the best ways to measure how the teaching is.

If the people the Saints are teaching as well.

Number two, Vital Signs. How's the fellowship?

Look at the fellowship. The early church was devoted to

the fellowship. This word in the Greek means to

share their very lives together. The essence of this Fellowship

was sharing To share with one another.

Look at Acts 2, verses 44 through 47.

Acts 2:44–47

I hope you with us so quick because I'm acting like you're

not even there but I do love you, I promise and I'm coming to

you a little bit. Just want you to know, I know

you're there took me a while to catch up to that we love you in

Oakwood. Acts chapter 2, verse 44, look

Acts 2:44

at that again and all who believed were together and had

all things in common with the world.

They had all things in common. Did they like the music?

Did they like the the small group model?

Did they like the carpet color? That's a typical preacher joke.

Sorry about that one. What do they like about it?

That made them have all things in common.

Is that what we're talking about?

Probably not. They were selling their

possessions, and their belongings and they were

Distributing. The proceeds to all as any had

need. It was just bubbling up out of

them and they, by day attending the temple together breaking

bread in their homes. They were coming together all

the time, every day, it couldn't help it.

They received their food with glad and Generous Heart.

Some of you are like, oh, that's not new.

I do that all the time. Maybe glad generous about that

food on my table. Praising God and having favor

with all the people and the Lord added to their number day by

day. Those who were being saved, what

does it mean to have all things in common?

That's where he started that whole discourse.

They had all things in common. What does that mean?

What binds us together. In Fellowship, were Above All

Else, above all the preferences, and what you see on the surface.

What is it that binds us together in Fellowship?

At the end of the day. What's going to bind us together

the way that the early church was bound together?

Is not preferences is not obligation.

It's experiencing the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

It's the presence of God which is only possible because Jesus

has paid the ultimate price and by the Holy Spirit now we come

together as one like this is what binds us together.

There may be some other things that we align on, but at the end

of the day what's going to take us beyond all of that?

Is our experience with God. These early Christians were

United by the presence of God Fellowship.

Must not be a product of preference or experience.

Fellowship must be. Product of the unmistakable

presence of all Mighty God In This Place.

Jesus was praying to the father in his high Priestly prayer on

the night that he was betrayed in John chapter 17.

John 17 · chapter mention

I want you to look at these words.

Unbelievable that, that Jesus, our savior was praying this on

the night that he was betrayed of all the things that he could

have, prioritized. The glory that you have given

me, father, I have given to them that they may be one.

Even as we are one i in them and you in me that they may become

perfectly 11 unified. That their Fellowship would be

perfect in its Oneness. That was his prayer for you for

me for the church. On the night that he was

betrayed. So that y so that the world may

know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me do you

you see this family connection here?

That Jesus the son of God is praying to his father about his

father's children. That we would be one and even

perfectly one. It's a family kind of

Fellowship. I find it interesting that Luke

in his gospel account. And in the book of Acts, he uses

the word Brothers more often than any other term for

Christian. In the book of Acts alone, he

uses that word for brothers, 25 times, that's more than

disciple, that's more than church, that's more than

Believers. That's more than Saints because

it's a family thing. First, John 3:1 see what kind of

John 3:1

love the father has given to us. That we should be called

children of God. And so we are.

It's a family thing. If it's truly a family thing, if

our fellowship is family, can I ask you a challenging question?

Shouldn't we be able to kind of let our guard down a little bit?

I remember growing up in church and coming to church ready like

equipped with my answer to the question that I was always going

to get asked, how you doing, you know, how's your week?

And when I was at, when I was young, I would come ready with

just a prepared answer because I really didn't want to get to the

real stuff. I wanted to be prepared and know

how to give them enough of an answer that would satisfy them

to where they wouldn't get all up in my business.

After that, that was just the way my My mind worked.

I knew the game. Sometimes, I think that we know

the game a little too. Well, when we come into this

place, and we've kind of we prepared our mask fine.

Yeah, yeah, fine. Good real good, it's all good.

Killing it over here. Like we have no problems, I

didn't have to spank my kids at all this week.

They're just perfect. There's no nothing wrong in my

house. I am really pleased with

everything that's happening at home.

My heart is at peace. We're good.

We're all good. Praise God!

Glory be to God, he's the great day.

This is the day. The Lord has made let us rejoice

and be glad Maybe some of you have mastered that art, you

know, the art of the work around.

How you doing? Can't complain, or even if I

could Wouldn't make any difference.

Nobody care, you know. Okay, good play.

What about this one? It's good to see you today.

Well, it's better to be seen than viewed.

You heard that one before? No.

Okay. Imagine what it would be like if

we didn't have this mask on. And we were truly just open and

honest and and transparent, I want to encourage you today that

transparency among family as the body of Christ is an important

step to Freedom. It is an important step that

this confession and transparency.

Why should we be free in that? Look at first, John 17, but if

we walk in the light, that's kind of what that means.

Like, transparent open, I'm walking in the line.

I'm not hiding. As he is in the light, we have

woo, same word. Yeah, I love it.

The Bible does that all the time.

You gotta see it fellowship with one another and the blood of

Jesus, his son cleanses us from all sin.

Why am I confident to be transparent and honest?

Because I know that the blood of Jesus cleanses me from all sin.

I don't have to hide anymore. I can walk in the light, we can

be family. How's the fellowship?

We've looked at Biblical teaching, we've looked at

Christian fellowship and now our third Vital sign that we're

going to look at today. How's the worship?

How's the worship? This may not be what you're

thinking, because I go to other churches, and I hear the

conversations, like, we typically put worship up here

and we talk about it as like a really important thing to our

church services, which it is. But the problem is we're

thinking about it in terms of music and singing, Only, that's

not all that worship is. It's not all about whether or

not the song is banging, you know, and hitting you in the

chest. That's not All that worship is

worship is a way of Life Worship is about submitting to the

lordship of Christ in, and giving him a duration, giving

him praise giving him Thanksgiving, paying attention

to him. Worship is about where we put

our attention and so a better question as we consider all of

the ways that we worship as the church is, who's Lord.

Who's Lord? Who are we lifting up?

Who are we crowning who we putting in the highest Place?

Who's Lord? That's what worship is about the

last two things in our verse today.

Acts 2:42 are both regarding acts of worship that they

Acts 2:42

devoted themselves to the breaking of bread and the

prayers. These two are both acts of

worship the first one. The breaking of bread is a

reference to the Lord's. Supper, some of you might know

that as communion where we take the bread and we take the wine

or the grape juice or Depending on what denomination you're from

and we remember that Jesus body was broken.

And that his blood was poured out for the Forgiveness of our

sins. And we do this, we take

communion as a sacrament of the church that the Lord Jesus

himself instituted. And we remember what he's done

and we remember what that means for us and we come before him

confessing sin remembering that he has atoned, his blood has a

tone and his sacrifice was enough for us to be forgiven.

This is an act of worship. This is an act of putting him in

the highest place and giving our attention and our Focus to him.

His life. Jesus is life, death, and

Resurrection will be Central in a healthy churches worship.

It will be Central. That's why taking the Lord's

supper together is such a beautiful act of worship for us

to do because it focuses us on what Jesus did and what that

means for us. So question is, is Jesus the

center of our worship? Who are we crowning?

Who are we submitting to? when we sing, when we take the

Lord's, Supper when we, when we give bring praise to him, when

we come to his word, and when we pray, Who are we crowning with

our worship? That brings us to prayer and in

this text Peter I'm sorry. Luke writes that they were

devoting to the prayers. You see that the prayers that's

a definite article. V.

So it implies that there were certain types of prayers

happening. It leads us to a clear point

that prayer was a mark of their corporate Gatherings.

They did this specifically and intentionally that they worship

God through the prayers. When they came together.

This was a significant part of their worship and it should be

for us today as well. No matter what you're going

through turning your attention, heavenward will change

everything about it. Every time it may not fix the

problem immediately, but it's going to change you.

As you turn your attention to him, it's going to change you.

And your perspective on what you're going through.

Remember these early Christians, they were surrounded by

persecution and fear and obstacles.

And they joined the strategy of the psalmist and they worship

God through the prayers. Maybe they lift it up.

Psalm 121 1 through to. I lift my eyes to the hills

from. Where does my help?

Come my help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and

Earth. These see, they turn their

attention heavenward and in Psalm 16 1, keep me safe.

My God. For in you, I take refuge Psalm

119 133, guide, my steps by Your Word.

So I will not be overcome by evil.

Looking to Him to guide us through, looking to him for our

refuge, looking to him, for our help and giving him the

attention. Rather than focusing on

ourselves. I'm sure that they remembered

the words of Jesus in John 14, when Jesus said, whatever you

ask in my name, this, I will do that.

The father may be glorified in the son, if he ask anything, in

my name, I will do it. I used to hear that scripture

Easter read it. And think that feels like

Aladdin, you know, like Genie type of stuff, like, what do you

mean that the anything? So all I have to do is say Jesus

and you're gonna do it. No, that's not what that says.

he's saying, if you ask anything, according to my will,

And and that glorifies me the sun.

If you ask anything, that's glorifying to me and is in

accordance with my will, in my name, I will do it.

The question is, do we trust the author of life that much to so,

immerse ourselves with his will and Trust his will enough to ask

for it. Do we turn to him before?

We turn to man-made strategies and plans?

Do we lift our eyes to the hills from where our help comes from?

Knowing that he's the one who made Heaven and Earth and he's

in control of our little details, too.

Healthy worship is all about turning your attention

heavenward and all came upon every soul who have that

response. All came upon every soul, verse

43 says, and many signs and wonders were being done through

the apostles. Every Soul had this sense of

awe, Every Soul inside and outside the fellowship, had this

sense of all. I wonder.

I wonder. What does the ow Outside world.

Think when they look at our fellowship when they look at our

worship, when they look at our teaching, what do they think?

What do they do? They have a sense of all

reverent fear is what that means.

Like do they do they see God and respond with all?

I can tell you that they're not going to have all if we don't

have all none of this is meant to keep

our Focus inward. I want to remind you of that.

None of this house, the house, the teaching house.

The fellowship? How's the worship?

If we're not careful, we can think about all of those things.

As inward, Focus things inside of these walls.

But everything we do here is for the purpose of spreading.

The gospel and glorifying Christ in the world.

That is the purpose, it stated. I hope it's clear.

That's the purpose. It's not to stay, it's to be

taught through your mouths and, and through your lives,

Throughout the second century. The Roman government was so

confused in like the early 100s ad.

They were so confused about how the church could still be

growing. And they would send spies into

these Christian fellowships in these homes.

And, and they would, they would even act like they were becoming

Christians. Literally, like they would be

paid to go be baptized, so that they would be considered

Christians so that they could spy on the Christians and bring

back details of what the Christians were.

Doing to the Roman government. And around 125 ad the Caesar at

the time was Hadrian and Hadrian was his mind was blown.

He didn't understand, how can we be persecuting them this hard

and they're still growing. And so he sent a man by the name

of Arista D's. If you knew how that was

spelled, you be more proud of me than you just wear that.

I said that in like somewhat clarity.

He was a philosopher arrested. He's a really smart, man, and

Caesar Hadrian sent him. In said, I want you to observe

what's happening on. I want you to come back with

What they're doing and who they are, and find some dirt, you

know, find some things we can really bury them for and Arista

tease came back, having written an apology about the Christian

faith. Which doesn't mean like oh, I'm

sorry, it means making a case. Making an argument for the

Christian faith. And he wrote this whole book,

this whole on this called the apology of Arrested.

He's from what he observed there.

And I just took an excerpt from it and I want to read it for us

as we close out our time together.

But this is from the philosopher arrested.

He's to Caesar Hadrian in 125 ad.

I know I'm going way back in history, but just bear with me.

This is challenging me this week.

Now the Christians O King, by going about seeking have found

the truth. He they, they found I think they

found the truth. For they know and trust in God,

the maker of heaven and Earth. Who has no fellow, who has

nobody beside him that can stand with him or be compared to him?

He has no fellow from him. They received those Commandments

in the hope and expectation of the world to come of the Kingdom

that's coming. And for this reason, they do not

commit adultery or immorality. They do not bear false witness

or embezzle, nor do they covet, what is not theirs.

They honor their father and their mother, they do good.

To those who are their neighbors.

And whenever they are Judges, they judge uprightly.

They do not worship idols made in the image of man.

Whatever they do not wish that others should do to them, they

do not do. They refused to worship strange

gods. And they go their way in all

humility and cheerfulness falsehood is not found among

them. They love one.

Another, the Widow's needs are not ignorant and they rescue the

orphan from the from the person who does him violence. and he

who has gives to him who has not ungrudgingly and without

boasting, When the Christians find a stranger, they bring him

to their homes and rejoice over him as a true brother.

Every morning and every hour, they praise and thank God for

his goodness to them every morning.

Every hour I've observed. They praise and thank God for

his goodness to them, even in the hours, where it didn't seem

like, he was good to them. They praised and gave glory and

thanks to God because of his goodness to them.

And for their food and drink they offer Thanksgiving such O.

King is the Commandment given to the Christians.

This is what they were commanded and such is their conduct This

is what they were commanded to do and this is what they did.

Their words match their lives, their they're teaching matched,

they're talking and they're walking.

Their words match their deeds. They were, they are, who they

say they are, they're doing what they were asked to do. and then

he said this, which blew me away, I've witnessed them O King

And certainly assuredly, this is a new people.

And there is something Divine in the midst of them.

Certainly. I've seen this is a new, a new

people for everyone who is in Christ, is a new creation, the

old has gone and the new has come Something Divine, in the

midst of them, because he, who knew no sin became sin, that,

that in him, they might become the righteousness of God.

They might become the righteousness of there's

something divine. I've seen it.

I don't understand it, Caesar fully yet, although he had

pretty good idea. But I can tell something

different, something, new, something Divine going on here.

What will be said of us. What will be said of us?

Oakwood Gainesville River, Bend If somebody came in here and and

viewed this place and viewed our fellowship and viewed our

teaching and viewed, our worship week in and week out, what would

they say? Will they see that we're taking

what we did and learned and how we grew?

Out to the people that needed it.

Will they see that what we're talking about?

So vibrantly, in here, what we believe so strongly in here

actually made it out of these doors because we believe it's

that good. What will they say?

Oakwood Preston's there. He's going to come up right now

and he's going to lead us through the rest of this time.

We love you so much and we're grateful that Pastor Preston's

there to help us take it to the next to the next part of our

day. We love you and we'll see you

soon. I wonder.

As we consider these things and we consider our witness to the

world and we consider what God's doing here.

I wonder, what's your next step is?

Maybe, maybe you're in here and nobody interrupted me in the

middle of that. Like I told you you could so

maybe but maybe you're in here and you're still trying to back

in the courage to respond and to step out in faith and ask a

question about who Jesus is and how to be saved.

Don't leave this place without grabbing me or somebody else

talking about putting your faith in Jesus.

Maybe you're in here at your kind of on the edge and you

haven't become a member yet and you're not.

Not sure and we're in this Middle season and we don't

really know, and I want to encourage you Ministries.

Not stopped here and there's an opportunity for you to get

plugged in. Maybe the next step for you is

to ask for more information about our membership class.

It's a great place to start to learn more about who we are and

how you can get plugged in and how you can be a part of that.

Maybe you've been on the edge of serving, for a long time, and

you haven't taken that step yet. I can promise you.

There's a lot of opportunities and never seems to me Volunteers

in my life, especially in the parking lot.

Praise God, it's good, its place here for you.

Take a step today, don't wait. To do what God has called you to

do. Don't wait to act on what he's

doing in your heart. Let's pray together.

Father God in heaven, we're here for you.

And God, we know that. We wouldn't be here apart from

your love and your grace. But I thank you today.

That your grace is enough. That your mercy is more.

And it's your kindness leads us to repentance and that as we

repent, you cleanse us of all unrighteousness.

So that we may walk in the light as you are in the light.

God would you come now as we finish our time together this

morning and do what only you can do continue to move on our

hearts and and Propel us forward in Your Love by your Holy Spirit

since Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Thank you for listening to the river.

Bend Church podcast. Learn more about who we are as a

church and how to connect you can head over to our website

Riverbend church. That life