SERIES: Where Lives Are Changed
MESSAGE: We're Here for You
SPEAKER: Skip Heitzig
SCRIPTURE: Acts 2:43-45

MESSAGE SUMMARY
In an age of low-commitment Christianity, the church is viewed skeptically and is seen as too intrusive. We in the church have an important role to play in changing people's minds, and that comes from making ourselves available and saying, "I'm part of those who belong to Christ, and I am here for you." As we wrap up this series, we discover four steps we can take to improve our availability.

STUDY GUIDE
Connect Group Recap: November 22, 2015
Teacher: Skip Heitzig
Teaching: We're Here for You
Text: Acts 2:43-45

Path

Evangelicals often use the phrase "a personal relationship with Jesus Christ." For those outside the church, this phrase conveys the difference between impersonal religion and embracing the God who gave it all for each of us. In an age of low-commitment Christianity, the church is viewed skeptically. It's seen as intrusive—too much of a commitment, too much accountability. We in the church have an important role to play in changing people's minds, and that comes from making ourselves available and saying, "I'm part of those who belong to Christ, and I am here for you." There are four steps we can take to improve availability.

Points

Recognize Variety
Emphasize Unity
Develop Community
Anticipate Majesty
Practice

Connect Up: As Tozer asked, are we losing our oh!? Confess your spiritual apathy. Then in your Connect Group, say together, "God is here, now." What has God done generally, biblically, or in your life or the life of someone you know that just overwhelms you? Share these things with one another, and give Him praise and thanks.

Connect In: Read John 17:22-23, Ephesians 4:3, and 2 Corinthians 13:11. What is the common theme of these passages? Think of the four main points of the message. How can you use those points to say, "I'm here for you" to others?

Connect Out: Read 1 Corinthians 12:4-6. What differences are described? What is the key similarity? What does that tell us about God's view of diversity and unity in the church? Beyond our fellowship at Calvary Albuquerque, how can we come alongside other churches in our community and around the world to support them in loving and truth-filled ways?

DETAILED NOTES

  1. Introduction
    1. In the ministry, we are called to serve people
      1. We represent the God who is always there
      2. Life is never dull at church
    2. Evangelicals use the phrase "personal relationship with Jesus Christ"
      1. There is a difference between going through the motions religiously and experiencing God on a personal level
      2. One might get the idea that we are a bunch of individuals in an isolated, self-contained relationship with God
      3. This phrase is not in the Bible
        1. Instead, the Bible speaks about our corporate relationship with Christ, the body of Christ
        2. Creates sense of unity with other believers
    3. There are steps we can take to battle low-level commitment Christianity and improve our availability
  2. Recognize Variety
    1. The early church had a broad range of believers
      1. Apostles and new believers
      2. Spiritually mature and spiritually immature
      3. Economically blessed and economically depressed
    2. We need to recognize there is variety in any church group
      1. We worship the same God
      2. We try to conform people to an image of what we think a true Christian is
    3. The body of Christ is essentially a people with a variety of gifts that are meeting a variety of needs (see 1 Corinthians 12:4-6)
      1. God works through all of us
      2. God loves variety
      3. His creation is filled with it
      4. We all have different gifts
      5. It's a variety of people with a variety of gifts that keeps the church interesting
    4. God reserves the right to use people that you don't like or agree with
      1. Do not fight the variety
      2. Enjoy it
  3. Emphasize Unity
    1. Unity in both location and vocation
      1. They were of one purpose, one heart, one vision
      2. With a variety of individuals, you run the risk of everyone doing their own thing
    2. Without unity, a group of people will malfunction
      1. Like the human body
      2. The head of the church is Christ
        1. Has the right to send signals to all the different members of the body
        2. Tells the members what to do with their gifting
      3. The Holy Spirit conveys the messages of the head to the rest of the body like the nervous system
      4. Jesus prayed that we would exhibit unity (see John 17:21)
      5. Paul urged the Ephesians to walk in unity (see Ephesians 4:3)
    3. What does unity mean?
      1. It does not mean we agree on every topic
      2. Unity does not mean uniformity; it means we're all together on what's essential
        1. The twelve apostles argued several times (see Matthew 18:1-6; Mark 9:33-36; Luke 9:46-48)
        2. Paul and Barnabas split company because of an argument (see Acts 15:36-41)
        3. In Acts, there was a disagreement about salvation (see Acts 15:1-12)
      3. We were all saved the same way, and we can agree on that
        1. There are essentials in the Christian faith that we can agree on
        2. There are nonessentials that we agree to disagree on
  4. Develop Community
    1. We should develop a sense of community with one another
      1. Koinónia = fellowship
      2. They sold their possessions and divided the money among those who were in need
      3. This was beginning to be a common practice (see Acts 4:33-35; 5:1-2)
      4. This was completely voluntary; not everyone did it (see Acts 2:46)
        1. When it's forced, it's Communism
        2. When it's voluntary, it's common-ism
      5. Their heart was with each other (see Matthew 6:21; Luke 12:34)
    2. They had all things in common
      1. We all have assets that others do not have
      2. We cover each others' weaknesses with our strengths
      3. 1 Corinthians 12:20-26
  5. Anticipate Majesty
    1. Phobos = fear, terror, reverence
      1. A sense of divine presence
      2. A sense of majesty when we realize that God is here now
    2. When we gather, we must never lose the sense of majesty, the fear of God
  6. Closing
    1. We can say, "We're here for you":
      1. When we recognize variety
      2. When we emphasize unity
      3. When we develop community
      4. When we anticipate majesty
    2. Accidie was used by medieval Christians to describe apathy of the soul
      1. Cynical about Christian ideals
      2. In ministry, it is going through the motions
      3. The cure is when we say, "We're here for you"

Figures referenced: Augustine, Martin Luther, A.W. Tozer

Greek/foreign words: accidie, koinónia, phobos

Cross references: Matthew 6:21; 18:1-6; Mark 9:33-36; Luke 9:46-48; 12:34; John 17:21; Acts 2:46; 4:33-35; 5:1-2; 15:1-12, 36-41; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 20-26; Ephesians 4:3


Topic: The Church

Keywords: ministry, serve, relationship, body of Christ, early church, variety, worship, gifts, unity, purpose, Holy Spirit, the church, community, Communism, majesty, fear


We're Here for You - Acts 2:43-45 | SkipHeitzig.com/3929
Page |