Sunday Evening Worship 11/17/24

Channel: Bible Baptist EL RENO

Transcript

Language: English (original, YouTube automatic captions)

[0:00] [Music]

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[1:37] for

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[2:07] good evening it's good to see y'all here

[2:10] with us this evening it's good to have

[2:11] witness touring group here with us to

[2:14] sing some specials tonight if you are

[2:17] able to though would you join us as we

[2:18] stand together if you're able to as we

[2:20] turn to

[2:22] 283 song number

[2:24] 283 it is joy

[2:26] unspeakable and full of Glory song

[2:33] 283 I have found his graes all complete

[2:38] he

[2:39] supplieth every

[2:41] need while I sit and learn at Jesus feet

[2:47] I am free yes free

[2:50] indeed it is joy unspeakable and full of

[2:55] Glory Full Of Glory Full Of Glory it is

[3:00] joy unspeakable full of Glory oh the

[3:05] half has never yet been

[3:09] told I have found the pleasure I once

[3:14] craved it is joy and peace

[3:17] within what a wondrous blessing I am

[3:22] saved from the awful golf of

[3:27] sin it is joy and unspeakable and full

[3:31] of Glory Full Of Glory Full Of Glory it

[3:37] is joy unspeakable and full of Glory oh

[3:41] the half has never yet been told I have

[3:45] found that hope so bright and

[3:48] clear I have found that hope so bright

[3:52] and clear living in the realm of

[3:57] Grace oh the savior's presence is so

[4:01] near I can see his smiling

[4:06] face it is joy unspeakable and full of

[4:11] Glory Full Of Glory Full Of Glory it is

[4:17] joy unspeakable and full of Glory oh the

[4:22] half has never yet been told on that

[4:26] last I have found the joy no tongue can

[4:31] tell how its waves of Glory

[4:35] roll it is like a great or flowing well

[4:40] springing up within my

[4:46] soul it is joy unspeakable and full of

[4:51] Glory Full Of Glory Full Of Glory it is

[4:57] joy unspeakable for

[5:00] of Glory oh the half has never yet been

[5:07] told then we're going to turn to

[5:11] 415 song number 415 Moment by

[5:16] Moment song number

[5:18] [Music]

[5:20] 415 dying with Jesus by death reckoned

[5:27] mine living with Jesus A New Life

[5:34] Divine looking to Jesus till Glory does

[5:41] shine Moment by moment oh Lord I am

[5:49] thine Moment by moment I'm kept in his

[5:56] love Moment by moment

[6:00] i' Li from

[6:03] above looking to Jesus till Glory does

[6:11] shine Moment by moment oh Lord I am

[6:18] [Music]

[6:20] thine never a

[6:23] trial that he is not

[6:27] there never a burden that he canot

[6:34] bear never a sorrow that he does not

[6:42] share Moment by moment I'm kept under

[6:48] his

[6:50] care Moment by moment I've l in his

[6:57] love Moment by My Moment i' Li from

[7:04] above looking to Jesus till Glory does

[7:12] shine Moment by moment oh Lord I am

[7:19] thine on that

[7:21] last never a weakness that he does not

[7:27] feel

[7:29] never a sickness that he canot

[7:36] heal Moment by moment in woe or in

[7:44] will Jesus my

[7:47] Savior abides with me

[7:52] still Moment by moment I'm kept in his

[7:58] love

[8:00] Moment by moment i' Li from

[8:07] above looking to Jesus till Glory does

[8:14] shine Moment by moment oh Lord I am

[8:25] thy you may be seated amen praise the

[8:28] Lord thankful for that glad you're here

[8:30] tonight hope you had a good afternoon

[8:33] how many of you got a nap this afternoon

[8:35] how many of you wish you got a nap but

[8:37] didn't get a nap all right brother

[8:39] raspberry I'm gonna pray for you so lots

[8:42] of extra people to preach to all right

[8:44] so but we're thankful to have witness

[8:46] with us tonight and they're traveling

[8:47] group and so uh they're

[8:51] practicing they've been a group together

[8:53] now three months and so um they're going

[8:56] to be traveling this summer together

[8:58] Lord willing everything works out and so

[9:00] they had to practice putting their sound

[9:02] system up and getting everything ready

[9:04] so we're excited to have them tonight so

[9:05] they're going to come and sing and then

[9:07] they're going to do three songs that

[9:08] they this time they'll sing later on in

[9:09] the service as well but you give them

[9:11] their undivided attention as they come

[9:13] so witness if you

[9:28] come

[9:58] e

[10:28] e

[10:58] e

[11:28] e

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[13:22] all

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[13:38] me

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[14:28] keep

[14:29] the

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[15:03] J

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[15:54] the

[16:10] any

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[16:38] spe

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[17:23] heart

[17:29] and

[18:25] and

[18:29] that's

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[19:20] up

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[19:38] our users come we're get ready to take

[19:40] up our offering tonight we want to be a

[19:41] blessing to the group as they travel and

[19:44] it does take money to get the bus down

[19:46] the road and so we want to be a blessing

[19:48] to them so anything comes in not Mark

[19:50] tithes or offerings will be put in a

[19:52] love offering for them tonight and be a

[19:54] blessing to them all right so let's go

[19:56] to Lord in prayer then after that uh

[19:57] we'll have another congregational song

[19:59] dear heavenly father Lord we're so

[20:01] thankful that we can come to your house

[20:05] tonight and to praise your name and

[20:07] listen to songs and be stirred in our

[20:09] hearts because they've got biblical

[20:11] truth in them Lord I pray you'd help us

[20:14] tonight to focus in on you to think

[20:17] about the words of the songs that we

[20:19] hear and let it stir our heart prepare

[20:22] our hearts for the preaching of the word

[20:23] of God Lord we pray that you'd bless

[20:25] this offering bless the gift and The

[20:27] Giver in your name I pray amen you may

[20:30] be seated

[20:34] [Music]

[20:59] [Music]

[22:05] if you're able to would you join me as

[22:07] we stand together if you're able to for

[22:08] song

[22:10] 329 song number 329 the cleansing

[22:15] wave song number 329 on that

[22:19] first oh now I see the Crimson wave the

[22:24] fountain deep and wide

[22:28] Jesus my Lord mighty to save points to

[22:33] his wounded side the cleansing stream I

[22:39] see I see I plunge and oh it cleanseth

[22:44] me oh praise the Lord it cleanseth me it

[22:49] cleanseth me yes cleanseth

[22:54] me I see the new creation R I hear the

[23:00] speaking

[23:02] blood it speaks

[23:05] polluted nature dies sinks Neath its

[23:09] cleansing

[23:10] flood the cleansing stream I see I see I

[23:16] plunge and oh it cleanseth me oh praise

[23:21] the Lord it cleanseth me it cleanseth me

[23:26] yes cleanseth me

[23:29] at this time we're going to take a

[23:30] moment to greet those nearby this

[23:32] evening

[23:34] [Music]

[25:22] we're going to lift it up on that third

[25:23] verse I Rise to walk in Heaven's own

[25:27] light above the the world in sin with

[25:29] hearts made pure and garments white and

[25:32] Christ enthroned within let LIF up on

[25:34] that third

[25:36] verse I Rise to walk in Heaven's own

[25:40] light above the world and

[25:44] sin with hearts made pure and garments

[25:48] white and Christ enthroned

[25:52] within the cleansing stream I see I see

[25:57] I and oh it cleanseth me oh praise the

[26:03] Lord it cleanseth me it cleans me yes

[26:08] cleanseth

[26:11] me Amazing Grace T Heaven below to feel

[26:17] the blood

[26:19] app and Jesus only Jesus know my Jesus

[26:26] crucified

[26:28] the cleansing stream I see I see I

[26:33] plunge and oh it cleanseth me oh praise

[26:38] the Lord it cleanseth me it cleanseth me

[26:44] yes cleanseth

[26:47] me you may be seated at this time we'll

[26:51] have some more specials from witness

[26:52] this evening right before witness comes

[26:54] going to introduce our speaker tonight

[26:56] brother raspberry uh thankful for his

[26:58] ministry there at the college as a

[27:00] professor and influence upon the

[27:02] students I hear good things from our

[27:03] students and they enjoy being in his

[27:06] class so that's good and so but we're

[27:08] thankful for them also thankful for the

[27:10] time that when I was in the hospital uh

[27:12] he came over and filled the pulpit for

[27:14] us and we appreciate that and being able

[27:17] to call somebody and have them come

[27:18] handle the pulpit and appreciate that

[27:20] willingness and so that was a blessing

[27:22] to me and so I enjoyed the messages I

[27:24] got to watch them online so enjoyed that

[27:27] uh when you filled the pulpit for here

[27:28] but witness is going to come they're

[27:29] going to sing some more and then right

[27:30] after that brother raspberry is going to

[27:31] come preach tonight

[28:10] [Music]

[28:24] am I surrender all down

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[28:43] am

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[29:26] am of

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[29:49] am

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[30:26] I am committed

[30:28] to

[30:29] the

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[30:51] CHR am

[30:59] I

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[31:06] am the of

[31:26] Christ e

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[32:20] wish

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[32:38] is

[33:24] is

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[33:52] is

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[34:22] and

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[35:26] Reg

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[35:53] of

[35:59] that

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[36:54] the beauty of the

[36:58] OFA

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[37:55] heav

[37:59] all

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[38:41] [Applause]

[38:44] well amen let's open our Bibles to the

[38:46] book of Acts chapter two please the book

[38:49] of Acts chapter two thank you Pastor for

[38:52] the opportunity to be with you all this

[38:53] evening we're looking forward to it and

[38:56] for the privilege of preaching tonight

[38:57] as well it is a real blessing and a

[39:00] greetings from Heartland Baptist Bible

[39:02] College we're having a uh record year in

[39:05] attendance technically we had one year

[39:07] that had more enrolled but as far as

[39:11] people at the school we have a record

[39:12] attendance and it's exciting to see

[39:14] about

[39:15] 170 freshmen first year students this

[39:18] year and and 169 of them have a paper

[39:22] due tomorrow including some here in this

[39:26] here tonight in my class tomorrow and

[39:28] looking forward to that let's get right

[39:30] into Acts chapter 1 Let's stand together

[39:32] I'm sorry I said acts one acts

[39:34] two and verse number

[39:37] 40 and I just want to get right into the

[39:39] message tonight acts two and verse

[39:42] number

[39:44] 40 and with many other words did he

[39:47] testify and exhort saying save

[39:51] yourselves from this unted

[39:54] generation then they that gladly

[39:56] received his word were baptized and the

[40:00] same day there were added unto them

[40:03] about 3,000 souls and they continued

[40:06] steadfastly in the apostles Doctrine and

[40:09] fellowship and in Breaking of bread and

[40:12] in prayers and fear Came Upon every

[40:16] soul and Many Wonders and signs were

[40:19] done by the apostles and all that

[40:22] believed were together and had all

[40:24] things common and sold their possession

[40:27] possessions and goods imparted them to

[40:29] all men as every man had need now just

[40:33] want to say that's not communism and

[40:35] communism is not voluntary they just

[40:38] take it from you this was a situation

[40:39] which the church members were

[40:41] voluntarily giving to to help each other

[40:44] through a difficult time and verse

[40:46] number uh 46 and they continuing daily

[40:49] with one Accord in the temple and

[40:52] breaking bread from house to house did

[40:54] eat their meat with gladness and

[40:56] singleness of heart praising God and

[40:59] having favor with all the people and the

[41:01] Lord added to the church daily such as

[41:04] should be saved I want to speak to you

[41:06] tonight on this topic and it's going to

[41:08] be a doctrinal type message and I hope

[41:10] it'll be a blessing to you but a church

[41:13] headed in the right directions plural

[41:17] the right directions what are the

[41:20] objectives of the church father I pray

[41:24] tonight just to be a help and be a

[41:25] blessing to this wonderful Church

[41:27] thank you for the great attendance they

[41:29] had this morning the visitors on the

[41:31] buses thank you Father just for allowing

[41:33] us to be here this evening thank you for

[41:35] a church that still has Sunday night

[41:37] church and makes it a priority I pray

[41:40] that I could be a blessing now I pray

[41:41] you fill me with your spirit in Jesus

[41:43] name amen thank you you may be

[41:46] seated our text tonight records the

[41:49] final results of the day of Pentecost

[41:52] one of the most important dates in the

[41:54] history of God's dealings with man kind

[41:58] at this point Jesus has ascended back to

[42:00] Heaven having completed the work that

[42:03] his father sent him to do during his

[42:06] Earthly life and Ministry Jesus did many

[42:09] wonderful things for example he lived a

[42:11] perfect and sinless life he never took a

[42:14] wrong step never said a wrong word never

[42:16] thought a wrong thought never did a

[42:18] wrong deed that's a pretty wonderful

[42:20] thing to to accomplish a perfect and

[42:23] sinless life he set for us the perfect

[42:26] example Le and spoke to us the words of

[42:30] God he revealed to us God in his own

[42:34] person he did Messianic Miracles healing

[42:38] the blind the deaf the mute and the

[42:41] crippled he gave Liberty to those Bound

[42:43] by Satan he even raised the dead then he

[42:47] went to the cross and died for our sins

[42:50] and was buried for three days and three

[42:52] nights in the heart of the earth and on

[42:54] Sunday morning Rose Victorious over dead

[42:57] as our living Eternal savior there's

[43:00] something else that Jesus did that

[43:03] during his ministry that would be easy

[43:05] to overlook in addition to all the many

[43:08] wonderful things we've just discussed he

[43:10] also started his

[43:13] church the first mention of the church

[43:16] is made by Jesus himself in Matthew

[43:19] 16:18 when he said to Peter Thou Art

[43:22] Peter and Upon This Rock I will build my

[43:24] church and the gates of hell shall not

[43:28] Prevail against it he did not say that

[43:30] Peter would build the church he did not

[43:32] say that the Holy Spirit would start the

[43:34] church he said that he would build the

[43:36] church upon himself as The Rock and so

[43:42] it's his church he did not say that I

[43:44] will build my synagogue he did not say I

[43:47] will build my temple he did not say I

[43:49] will build my kingdom he said Upon This

[43:52] Rock I will build my church the church

[43:56] is his inst institution carrying out his

[43:59] plan and program in this dispensation as

[44:03] I'm sure most if not all of you already

[44:05] know because your pastor preaches Bible

[44:08] Doctrine to you but I but the word

[44:09] church is the Greek word eklesia which

[44:12] simply means a called out assembly an

[44:15] assembly of members that have come

[44:17] together for a specific purpose and the

[44:21] church is not any old assembly gathering

[44:23] together it is Christ's assembly and we

[44:26] assemble for his his purpose and his

[44:28] objectives I like what Sam Davidson said

[44:31] he says the first business of any church

[44:34] is just to

[44:35] assemble we ought to just get together

[44:38] ought to get together on purpose and we

[44:40] ought to get together for his purpose

[44:43] and so his church means he's its origin

[44:47] it is his property it ought to be by his

[44:50] design it ought to be under his

[44:52] authority and it ought to be distinct

[44:54] from anything else in the world no other

[44:57] Ecclesia is his Ecclesia so by the end

[45:01] of Jesus's Ministry we find a church

[45:04] already in existence he already has a

[45:07] called out assembly of disciples over

[45:10] which he is their Shepherd he he has

[45:13] already placed Apostles first in the

[45:16] body they already have two ordinances

[45:19] baptism and the Lord's Supper Jesus is

[45:23] their Chief Cornerstone already laid in

[45:26] place they already have the concept of

[45:28] the Bishop Rick in Acts chapter 1 when

[45:31] they elected um maias to replace Judas

[45:35] scariot they had clear rules for church

[45:38] discipline they already had the Great

[45:40] Commission although at this point

[45:42] they're told to T until they receive

[45:45] power from on high they're called A

[45:47] Flock they have a Treasurer they've

[45:49] already been purchased as a church by

[45:52] Jesus on Calvary in Acts one they

[45:54] already had a business meeting in Acts

[45:56] two they already assembling together and

[45:58] now some and in Acts 2 uh 3,000 are

[46:02] saved and baptized and added to

[46:05] something already in existence and that

[46:07] is the church that Jesus left when he

[46:09] ascended back to heaven and so acts two

[46:13] is not the birth of the church but the

[46:15] empowerment of the

[46:18] church in Luke 24 Jesus said and in that

[46:22] version of the Great Commission it says

[46:25] behold I send the promise of of my

[46:27] father upon you but te ye in the city of

[46:30] Jerusalem until you be endued with power

[46:33] from on high so he told a church already

[46:36] in existence that he's leaving behind

[46:39] here is your mission go into all the

[46:40] world and preach the gospel to Every

[46:42] Creature but right now I I want you to

[46:45] wait stay right here in

[46:49] Jerusalem until you be endued with power

[46:52] from on high until I send the promise of

[46:54] My Father which is the Pres of the holy

[46:57] spirit of God taking up his role as the

[47:01] administrator of the churches under

[47:04] Christ the head of the church and so

[47:06] they waited in Acts one and they're

[47:09] assembling in Acts two and now all of a

[47:12] sudden that miraculous manifestation of

[47:14] the spirit of God and acts to on

[47:16] Pentecost not with a bunch of gibberish

[47:19] tongues speaking like what is called P

[47:21] Pentecostalism today but rather they

[47:24] stood and preached and people heard and

[47:26] their own heart language the wonderful

[47:29] works of God and Peter preached and and

[47:32] 3,000 were saved and baptized and no

[47:35] doubt there are many other thousands of

[47:37] Jews that got saved in the days

[47:39] following who went home and thought

[47:41] about what they had heard but it was an

[47:43] amazing start and Hey listen we don't

[47:46] need to T any longer we can go full more

[47:49] Full Speed Ahead carrying out the Lord's

[47:51] Great

[47:53] Commission the church is a controversial

[47:56] subject today not not because the Bible

[47:59] is difficult to

[48:00] understand but because so many people

[48:02] want to Fashion it according to their

[48:04] own ideas of what the church ought to be

[48:08] the New Testament Church is not a

[48:11] complicated

[48:12] topic we just need to accept what the

[48:15] Bible says and discard man's ideas and

[48:20] we'll come down on Solid Ground tonight

[48:24] I want to discuss the objectives of

[48:26] thech church and I want to say first and

[48:27] foremost before I go any further that I

[48:30] love the

[48:32] church Heartland Baptist Bible College

[48:34] is not a church we don't claim to be a

[48:36] church we don't have the authority of

[48:39] the church we don't baptize we don't

[48:41] ordain we're simply a training

[48:43] institution Southwest Baptist Church is

[48:46] my home church and I love the Lord's

[48:48] church I think I got saved at church met

[48:51] my wife at church a church ran a bus

[48:53] that brought my wife to church as a kid

[48:56] I raised my kids in church and they're

[48:58] in church today and I thank God for the

[49:01] church and the influence that it's had

[49:02] in my life and Ministry and I I'm a

[49:07] Churchman I want to go to church every

[49:10] time the doors are open when I die I

[49:12] expect a casket in church and I I expect

[49:15] people there crying I don't want to hear

[49:17] any of this stuff about don't cry for me

[49:19] you better be crying why aren't you

[49:20] crying for me I I want to see some tears

[49:23] I'll be watching I used to I used to

[49:25] tell my church that all all the time and

[49:27] then bury me at Walmart so folks will

[49:29] visit me

[49:32] amen I love the Lord's church but

[49:36] sometimes we need to be reminded of why

[49:38] we are a church or what what is the

[49:40] objective of the church what direction

[49:42] should the church be headed and I want

[49:44] to give you four directions that that

[49:47] the New Testament Church ought to be

[49:50] pursuing or heading in and or four

[49:52] objectives that we ought to be pursuing

[49:55] number one

[49:57] we have an outward objective that is the

[50:00] Great Commission an outward objective

[50:04] Jesus said in Matthew 28 go ye therefore

[50:06] and teach All Nations baptizing them in

[50:08] the name of the father and of the son

[50:10] and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to

[50:12] observe all things whatsoever I have

[50:14] commanded you and lo I Am With You

[50:16] Always even un the end of the world Amen

[50:20] no go no

[50:22] low my old Pastor brother Smith was a

[50:24] country country boy grew up on a

[50:27] sharecropper farm and he had a uh

[50:29] wonderful way of describing things and

[50:32] his way of explaining the Great

[50:33] Commission is we win them we wet them we

[50:36] wean them we work

[50:38] them and we let the Holy Spirit worm

[50:40] them

[50:41] okay but in that we win people to Christ

[50:44] we're to be going and preaching the

[50:45] gospel one at a time person after person

[50:48] after person and when we lead someone to

[50:51] Christ we lead them to baptism not to

[50:53] get saved but because they are saved and

[50:55] you know you can be Sav saved and not be

[50:57] baptized you can be baptized and not be

[50:59] saved but if you are saved you ought to

[51:03] follow the lord in Believers baptism

[51:05] which is by immersion as Jesus was

[51:08] baptized picturing a burial and a

[51:10] resurrection and so we're to go and

[51:13] we're to teach and we're to baptize and

[51:14] we're to train and disciple and we see

[51:17] that in Acts two and Peter who had no

[51:20] preparation had no sermon notes and yet

[51:22] when the spirit of God began to move

[51:25] began you stood up and preached

[51:27] and God gave thousands and thousands of

[51:29] of souls they that were one to Jesus

[51:32] Christ through that what really is a

[51:34] very simple gospel message in Acts

[51:37] chapter 2 we must not for and by the way

[51:40] then they were baptized the same

[51:43] day now I'm not saying everyone ought to

[51:46] get saved and baptized exactly the same

[51:48] day but I'm just also going to say

[51:49] there's nothing unbiblical with someone

[51:50] getting saved and baptized the same

[51:53] day there's no biblical reason for us to

[51:56] put someone went through a six-year

[51:57] waiting program I realize sometimes it

[52:00] may take a while before we get them in

[52:01] the water but if someone got saved and

[52:03] want to get baptized there's no biblical

[52:05] reason to stop them from the same day

[52:08] following Jesus and baptism is there see

[52:10] that here in in Acts 8 and many other

[52:13] places and so we have three thou by the

[52:15] way to baptize

[52:17] 3,000 new

[52:20] converts with the 12 uh

[52:23] Apostles if I'm assuming that the

[52:25] Apostles of 's doing all the

[52:27] baptizing that's 250 baptisms per

[52:36] disciples I mean we had a baptism

[52:38] service a while back brother Perl I

[52:40] think baptized 10 and I was like man

[52:42] brother perkle is your arm sore I

[52:45] mean 250 baptisms per

[52:50] disciple getting some asper cream after

[52:52] that service

[52:54] amen but I'm sure that they were re

[52:56] always saying can you imagine a church

[52:58] that had 120 in prayer meeting now they

[53:00] got 3,000 new converts to and and the

[53:03] Great Commission kicking it in gear

[53:05] because now we go to now that we've won

[53:07] them we got to baptize we got to train

[53:09] them but we must not forget that our

[53:12] first objective is to go and teach and

[53:15] witness we don't have anyone to baptize

[53:17] if we don't first win someone to

[53:21] Jesus so often Church planners they I

[53:24] and I had the privilege of my wife and I

[53:25] starting a church 24 years ago and and

[53:28] so often Church planners want to go out

[53:30] and they they got their great sermons

[53:32] all lined out but they what good is that

[53:34] if you're not out trying to reach people

[53:35] and get them into church where they can

[53:37] hear the message so often we have

[53:40] everything just right but we we're

[53:42] failing to go outward and Reach people

[53:45] where they are we can't disciple if we

[53:48] don't have any converts we haven't had

[53:49] anyone

[53:50] baptized the great danger of any church

[53:53] no matter what its size has developed a

[53:55] complacent attitud ude toward the

[53:58] lost well we had 120 in prayer meeting

[54:00] so what do we need to go after anybody

[54:02] for we're comfortable I was rejoicing

[54:05] your pastor was telling me how the

[54:07] church is growing had 140 something this

[54:10] morning that's Fant is't that a

[54:12] wonderful

[54:14] blessing our church Southwest just had

[54:16] our friend day and had over

[54:18] 2,000 and I'm thankful for our pastor

[54:21] brother gtis because in a church like

[54:23] Southwest it would be easy to kind of

[54:25] coast and and say you know we got a full

[54:27] house and and all hundreds of Heartland

[54:30] students and and uh you know just kind

[54:32] of Coast but our pastor won't let us

[54:34] he's like no we got to go get our

[54:36] friends and our co-workers and our

[54:37] family we got to get them to church and

[54:39] try to win them to Christ because we

[54:41] have an outward objective which is to go

[54:45] and Reach people where they

[54:46] are thank God for that bus route I don't

[54:49] know how how many of you are bus workers

[54:51] thank God for bus workers bus workers

[54:54] brought my wife to church when she was a

[54:56] a girl and and uh and kept her in church

[54:59] so she could drive herself thank God one

[55:01] of the most wonderful uh Christians I've

[55:03] ever known reached because someone went

[55:06] out wasn't content to sit in the church

[55:09] but went out to where the people were

[55:11] and brought them in let's keep doing

[55:13] that amen let's keep doing that we don't

[55:16] want to be lose our outward Focus hey

[55:19] new members means more

[55:22] work means friction

[55:26] sometimes they take your

[55:29] seat no matter how you glare at them

[55:32] they don't

[55:35] move I used to tell our church said yeah

[55:37] we want to grow until someone parks in

[55:39] your parking place or sits in your

[55:41] Pew and so we didn't have any parking

[55:44] places has first come first serve and no

[55:46] pews either has first come first serve

[55:48] and and you know we just have to

[55:50] maintain that attitude of hey we're here

[55:52] for a reason we have a commission we

[55:54] have an outward Focus an outward

[55:56] objective that means going out there

[55:58] finding people bringing them in getting

[56:00] them saved getting them baptized working

[56:02] them into the church family discipling

[56:05] them dealing with baby Christians who

[56:08] who sometimes don't know how to act and

[56:10] and and misbehave but discipling them

[56:12] and training them and helping them grow

[56:14] that is our objective first and foremost

[56:17] is outward we must never forget that

[56:20] number

[56:21] two we have a downward

[56:23] objective which is the foundation of

[56:25] Doctrine

[56:27] in verse 42 it says they continued

[56:30] steadfastly in the apostles Doctrine and

[56:34] fellowship so that third part of the

[56:36] Great Commission is teaching them teach

[56:39] them and that word is discipleship to

[56:42] train them and so here you have 3,000

[56:47] new converts many of them Pro no doubt

[56:49] have come from all over the world and

[56:51] and for for uh for the feast days of

[56:55] Pentecost by the way can you

[56:58] imagine I mean they're they're learning

[57:00] the apostles Doctrine from the

[57:03] apostles can you imagine those services

[57:05] I don't think they probably probably

[57:07] didn't have a clock out that said you

[57:09] know we need to be done at

[57:10] 12:30 I have a feeling there a bunch of

[57:13] folks saying uh John can you tell us

[57:14] more about when you met Jesus John the

[57:18] Baptist said Behold the Lamb of God

[57:20] which taketh away the sin of the world

[57:22] can you imagine sitting down with Peter

[57:25] and asking him questions and listening

[57:28] to these first uh firsters accounts of

[57:32] who what of their interactions with

[57:34] Jesus what he did what he said who he

[57:36] was and they're learning the doctrines

[57:39] of Jesus Christ they're learning what

[57:42] these men learned from Jesus himself and

[57:45] as the holy spirit is guiding them

[57:47] they're learning the truth about Jesus

[57:50] and about who he is what he said what he

[57:52] did and what that means well you and I

[57:55] can't sit down with pet pet and James

[57:57] and John but what we have is a new

[58:01] testament that the holy spirit of God

[58:05] inspired and moved upon holy men like

[58:08] Matthew Mark Luke and John Paul and Jude

[58:11] and Peter so that what we have here is

[58:14] in fact the inspired

[58:17] Doctrine the apostles Doctrine what God

[58:20] wants us to have in the 27 books of the

[58:24] New Testament oh how important it is for

[58:26] us as as a church or you're you as a

[58:30] church and me as a member of my church

[58:33] to understand

[58:34] doctr to have a downward objective which

[58:37] by that I mean to be firmly established

[58:40] and rooted in the teachings of

[58:44] scripture it'd be easy for us to just go

[58:46] go go go go and yet be

[58:50] unsettled there's a lot of groups out

[58:52] there a lot of Cults out there going

[58:54] going going but they are totally

[58:56] erroneous in their doctrines so we got

[58:58] to make sure that we're firmly rooted in

[59:01] the doctrine of the word of God whether

[59:03] it's theology christology the doctrine

[59:06] of salvation the Bible the church the

[59:08] Holy Spirit angels and Devils Heaven and

[59:11] Hell uh last things we need to rightly

[59:14] divide the word of God and be a pillar

[59:17] and ground of the truth not something

[59:19] wishy-washy in all over the place but a

[59:22] church that is firmly grounded in the

[59:25] truth of the word of God I love the

[59:27] illustration of the

[59:29] lighthouse the church we started in

[59:32] north Texas we named Lighthouse Baptist

[59:34] Church even though the closest

[59:36] Lighthouse was probably oh 12 hours away

[59:41] down on the coast somewhere but we named

[59:43] it Lighthouse Baptist Church lighthouse

[59:45] first name Baptist middle name church

[59:47] last name all right and uh we named it

[59:50] Lighthouse Baptist Church because a

[59:52] lighthouse to me represents what a

[59:54] church ought to be a lighthouse is built

[59:57] to shine the Gospel Light a long way to

[60:01] do so it's got to stand

[60:03] tall and to Stand Tall has got to be

[60:07] firmly

[60:09] grounded and so you don't put a church

[60:11] down in a

[60:13] hole and you don't put a church on S on

[60:16] Sand you want the church to be firmly

[60:19] grounded to the rock of the scriptures

[60:22] Standing Tall and shining the light and

[60:26] well we've got to be outwardly motivated

[60:28] we got to be downward have that downward

[60:30] objective and then thirdly we see also

[60:33] there's an inward objective and that's

[60:35] the Fellowship of the Saints in verse

[60:38] 42 they continue steadfastly in the

[60:41] apostles Doctrine and fellowship and

[60:44] breaking of bread and in prayers what do

[60:46] we see they're spending time

[60:49] together a lot of new

[60:52] faces and they're getting to know each

[60:54] other

[60:56] and verses 44- 46 we've already read but

[60:59] they were going through some hardships

[61:01] and lacking finances and so those who

[61:04] had were voluntarily giving to meet the

[61:08] needs of others and uh willing to help

[61:11] each other not just say Amen brother

[61:13] I'll pray for you but they're putting

[61:15] their money where their mouth

[61:17] is and they were together every

[61:21] day and they were in one

[61:23] Accord and they had open homes you see

[61:26] that in verse number 46 they were one in

[61:29] one Accord in the temple the temple had

[61:31] big Courtyards and and giant staircases

[61:35] and all kinds of open Park type areas

[61:37] where people could gather together and

[61:39] the church is gathering in this there's

[61:41] no no building that can hold them but

[61:43] they're gathering together and it's out

[61:45] in public and they're also meeting in

[61:47] homes and they're breaking bread

[61:48] together and you see that there's

[61:50] gladness and singleness of

[61:53] heart that's a beautiful scene

[61:56] oh so many churches there's no

[61:59] gladness there's bitterness and anger

[62:01] and resentment and Division and strife

[62:03] and eny and all the works of the flesh

[62:07] but here in this early church you find

[62:09] because they're outward and because

[62:10] they're downward there's an inward

[62:12] Fellowship there's a love for one

[62:14] another and they're practicing what

[62:16] Jesus said when he said uh this is my

[62:18] commandment that you love one another as

[62:20] I have loved

[62:22] you it's a wonderful thing to be in a

[62:24] loving church I've never felt unwelcome

[62:26] at church I I didn't grow up in church

[62:29] but when I got saved and got in got into

[62:31] a church in Weatherford Texas and man

[62:34] they they always made me feel like I was

[62:36] welcome and wanted and I thank God it

[62:39] changed my life my parents are still in

[62:41] that same church today they got saved

[62:42] after I did and still members of that

[62:45] church 30 years later we must love one

[62:48] another we need each other we need that

[62:51] Fellowship oh when I was a pastor we had

[62:53] all kinds of different people that would

[62:54] come through and sometimes they wanted

[62:57] to be part of the ministry but they

[62:58] didn't want to be around anybody that's

[62:59] an odd kind of mentality there was one

[63:02] family in particular and I I don't mean

[63:04] to be critical of them but they just

[63:06] they got to where they couldn't like

[63:07] anybody in the church anymore boy as

[63:08] soon as service let out boom they went

[63:10] out the door and they would on shake

[63:12] hands with anybody they want to come in

[63:13] and be there because they knew they need

[63:15] to be in church but they didn't want to

[63:16] be around anybody they want to talk to

[63:19] anybody is that a sad well that didn't

[63:21] last very long obviously I mean we need

[63:24] each other we need the church we need

[63:26] the fellowship of our fellow Believers

[63:28] we're A Flock we're stones in a temple

[63:32] and the New Testament never entertains

[63:34] the idea of a lone sheep out on his

[63:39] own finally what do we seeing there's

[63:42] outward there's downward there's Inward

[63:45] and then the final objective is upward

[63:49] and that is the praise and glory of God

[63:50] verse 47 praising God and having favor

[63:55] with all the people

[63:56] and the Lord added to the church daily

[63:58] such as should be saved this church was

[64:01] suffering hardship it's hard to tell

[64:04] because they see they're so

[64:06] happy there's such

[64:08] gladness but they're suffering hardship

[64:10] this is breaking family bonds and

[64:13] friendships it's causing great divisions

[64:15] in the life that they have known and yet

[64:18] there's gladness there's joy and they're

[64:21] praising God Hey listen I maybe you had

[64:24] a rough day maybe you had a rough rough

[64:26] week now you're starting the first day

[64:28] of the fir of a new week and it's like

[64:30] man I I'm just struggling right now but

[64:32] we come together for church and we

[64:35] praise

[64:37] God because God deserves Our Praise well

[64:40] I don't feel like it well what's that

[64:44] got to do with

[64:46] anything just praise the Lord he

[64:49] deserves it and you know we come to

[64:51] church and it's not just so we can get

[64:53] for ourselves we come to church for a

[64:56] lot of reasons but one of the main

[64:57] reasons is hey we come to worship Our

[65:00] God come to honor our savior come to

[65:04] glorify him we've come to sing to him

[65:07] I'm glad our group is here we enjoy

[65:09] singing they and they they love singing

[65:12] for the Lord and we sing as a

[65:14] congregation but you know we sing We

[65:16] benefit each other when we sing but

[65:18] ultimately who is our singing for it's

[65:20] for the Lord Brother Mass brought this

[65:23] up recently Southwest

[65:26] he said isn't it wonderful that the Lord

[65:28] condescends to hear to want to hear us

[65:32] sin and I thought think of the angels in

[65:35] heaven he's got countless number of

[65:39] angels and I I'm sure that there is an

[65:42] angel for every note in the

[65:44] scale can you imagine the Angelic choir

[65:47] they can hit

[65:49] everything and that if if we were to

[65:51] hear them sing we might never want to

[65:53] sing again

[65:57] and yet God wants to hear me

[66:03] sing croaking

[66:05] away tuning a

[66:09] bucket they like for me to sing at

[66:11] church they they like for me to sing

[66:13] tener 10 or 12 miles away was what they

[66:15] prefer

[66:17] amen but God loves to hear me sing and

[66:20] sometimes I think we forget that hey

[66:23] we're not just we're not just here to

[66:25] run on a bus and go seing and support

[66:27] missions although that's a huge part of

[66:30] it we're not here just to have

[66:31] Fellowship meals and play games together

[66:34] and have youth group although that's

[66:35] certainly that's part of it we're not

[66:37] here just to study and learn things

[66:40] although that's certainly part of it but

[66:42] we're also here for our living

[66:44] Savior and we come together to worship

[66:47] him and to pray to him and to sing to

[66:48] him and to sing for him and to love him

[66:52] and to show our loyalty to him and when

[66:54] we get our off of him these other Things

[66:58] Fall

[66:59] Apart we need to keep our eyes on Christ

[67:02] praising God and the Lord added to the

[67:04] church daily such as should be saved so

[67:08] a church heading in the right directions

[67:10] they go outward they're downward

[67:14] Doctrine they're inward in fellowship

[67:16] with each other and there's upward with

[67:19] praising God pretty good example for us

[67:22] to follow amen father I pray that you

[67:25] bless these thoughts help us when we as

[67:28] Christians get our eyes off of you we

[67:31] get our objectives out of order or we

[67:34] simply get complacent begin to coast and

[67:37] forget why we're here pray that you'd

[67:40] help us each

[67:42] individually to take seriously and to

[67:44] take personally this challenge help us

[67:47] to consider our responsibility in these

[67:49] regards and I pray that you'd work now

[67:51] the invitation time for we ask it in

[67:53] Jesus name amen

[68:23] time you told somebody about the Lord

[68:25] a downward church are you growing in

[68:27] your Doctrine and your relationship with

[68:30] God an inward church do you like to

[68:32] fellowship with other believers or do

[68:34] you like to keep them away hey the

[68:37] church will only be like the members of

[68:39] it so what kind of church member are you

[68:43] tonight if you need to work on something

[68:45] ask God to help you you will this is a

[68:50] growing church

[68:52] family we need each other pray for one

[68:56] another brother Sam leads us in this

[68:59] song you do business with God

[69:10] tonight for Fai to

[69:14] increase and have

[69:17] early

[69:19] fent

[69:23] pray but you can not have rest or be

[69:29] perly

[69:31] blessed until all on

[69:35] thear is

[69:39] laid is all on the altar of

[69:46] saice

[69:48] L your heart does the spirit control

[69:55] [Music]

[70:04] [Music]

[70:12] and we'll play through another verse as

[70:16] the instruments continue to

[70:19] play what do you want in your

[70:23] church what do you desire

[70:26] in your

[70:27] church have you prayed for

[70:30] it have you pursued

[70:32] it tonight what's God dealing with your

[70:35] heart about what kind of church member

[70:38] are you are you an outward church member

[70:42] an inward church member a downward

[70:44] church member the upward church member

[70:45] when's the last time you praised

[70:47] God hopefully it was

[70:50] tonight what kind of church member are

[70:53] you

[71:00] [Music]

[71:20] all God's people said amen you may

[71:23] quietly be seated want to give you a few

[71:24] announcements

[71:25] you guys got one

[71:27] more you guys can do one more they're

[71:29] looking at each

[71:32] other we'll sing one more song for a

[71:35] dismissal song here in just a moment

[71:36] we'll let him get ready for that want to

[71:38] remind you about next Sunday night uh

[71:40] fundra are there to help the teenagers

[71:42] get running set aside for camp and youth

[71:44] conference and so the pie auction next

[71:46] tonight if you had a question about that

[71:47] see brother Jesse or Miss Priscilla they

[71:49] give you more details about that and

[71:52] then don't forget uh the Tuesday before

[71:54] Thanksgiving is our annual pie and

[71:56] praise night uh no Wednesday night

[71:58] service that week but that Tuesday night

[72:00] special time of fellowship with the

[72:01] church family so I'd encourage you to

[72:03] come be a part of that the Tuesday

[72:05] before Thanksgiving you believe that

[72:07] December is around the corner we're

[72:09] nearing the end of the year and we're

[72:11] excited as we finish out the year we're

[72:12] gonna finish strong amen and looking

[72:15] forward to next year and what God's got

[72:16] in store for us pray for the uh those

[72:19] new members that got baptized this

[72:20] morning excited for them and looking

[72:23] forward to what God's got in store for

[72:25] us for each and every one of them so

[72:26] keep that in mind after service tonight

[72:28] uh the crew the single adult crew class

[72:32] uh we're going to be hanging out with

[72:33] witness and having some fun and food and

[72:37] fellowship down in the fellowship hall

[72:39] and so we'll do that with witness after

[72:41] the service tonight I want to thank you

[72:43] for being here aren't you glad you came

[72:45] to church tonight I hope so so witness

[72:48] why don't you come sing one more for us

[72:50] then right after that uh Brother Sam

[72:52] will come lead us in our dismissal song

[73:17] [Music]

[73:24] in

[73:45] ch

[73:47] [Music]

[73:59] I

[74:09] [Music]

[74:22] [Music]

[74:28] ch

[74:35] [Music]

[74:41] [Music]

[74:52] [Music]

[75:09] [Music]

[75:13] might

[75:14] [Music]

[75:29] my

[75:33] [Music]

[75:45] [Music]

[75:48] all

[75:52] choose I choose

[76:02] [Music]

[76:15] [Music]

[76:22] is

[76:25] [Music]

[76:40] [Music]

[76:52] Jose I choose

[76:54] [Music]

[77:01] [Applause]

[77:02] [Music]

[77:10] [Applause]

[77:17] if you're able to would you join us as

[77:19] we stand together for our dismissal song

[77:21] hopefully you too choose to trust

[77:25] they that wait upon the Lord song number

[77:29] 336 they that wait upon the Lord shall

[77:35] renew their strength they shall Mount up

[77:40] with weed as

[77:43] eagles they shall run and not be wey

[77:48] they shall walk and not faint teach me

[77:52] Lord Teach Me Lord for to

[77:57] wait you are dismissed

[78:01] [Music]