On Your Mark, Get Set...Grow! Part 1-Part B

Rarely do you hear a church described first and foremost by the character, power, and content of its preaching. This is because few preachers today are true servants of the Word. But the apostles, now those guys, they were servants of the Word. And welcome to Connect with Skip Weekend Edition and our series, Church Who Needs It. You know, doctrine is one of those stuffy, pompous sounding Christianese words that many people would rather avoid.

It's not a seeker friendly sounding term, so some think it's best just not to bring up. Well, vegetables is another word that isn't too pleasant to some people, especially kids, but it's necessary for a healthy diet. If we want to grow big and strong and healthy, we need our vegetables and we need good doctrine. Now in today's broadcast, Pastor Skip explains how sound biblical doctrine can help us grow as Christians.

But first, let's see what's going on in the Connect with Skip Resource Center this month. The beating heart of Bible prophecy is the land of Israel and the Middle East. Joel Rosenberg has his finger on the pulse of the world shaking changes happening right now. And he unveils them in his new nonfiction book, Enemies and Allies. This is the first book of its kind that takes you inside the Oval Office, inside the palaces of the kings and crown princes, the presidents and the prime ministers in Israel and in the Arab world as we ask them, what do you think about religious freedom, about making peace with Israel, about the threat from Iran, about U.S.-Arab relations, U.S.-Israel relations? Enemies and Allies from multiple New York Times bestselling author Joel Rosenberg takes you on an unforgettable journey inside the turbulent Middle East.

You'll go behind closed doors to hear from the very kings and crown princes, presidents and prime ministers who are leading the charge. Enemies and Allies includes exclusive never before published quotes, insights and analysis from the author's conversations with some of the world's most controversial leaders. Your hardcover copy of Enemies and Allies is our thanks for your generous gift of $35 or more today.

To give, call 800-922-1888 or visit connectwithskipp.com. And when you give today, you'll also receive a signed copy of Skip Heitzig's book, The Biography of God, which sheds light on God's nature and character, including His plans and purpose for your life. We continue today in Acts chapter 2 with a message, on your mark, get set, grow.

So as you find your place, we'll join Skip Heitzig for today's study. Verse 22, men of Israel, hear these words. Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did through him in your midst. You yourselves also know him being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God.

You have taken by lawless hands, crucified and put to death, whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it. For David says concerning him, now he quotes Psalm 16, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, et cetera, et cetera. And here he shows how David predicted the death and resurrection of Jesus.

And he does it from the text. So, the apostles were the first preachers, proclaimers, to the early church. And the style of apostolic preaching was expository preaching. That is, the focus of the apostles was on the power of the text, not the personality of the preacher. Showing people from the scriptures what God has said, firmly rooted in that. That's the safest way to preach, by the way, it saves people from going off on all sorts of tangents, by giving them what scripture says.

But here's the overall thing I want to show you here. The early church, these first Christians, did not just rely on the Holy Spirit speaking to them personally about truth, but they recognized the office of the men that Jesus had chosen, his apostles, and believed in their authority to preach, to proclaim, and to teach truth. And so they devoted themselves to the apostles doctrine. As they preached, they devoted themselves to it, and they listened to it.

Why? Why is this important? It's simply because the truth that is preached is how God primarily changes people's lives.

I can see that in my own life. The first time I heard the gospel clearly preached through Billy Graham, I remember the day. I remember things that he said that rung true in my heart. He looked at the audience and said, many of you are lonely.

And I thought, I'm lonely. And some of you need forgiveness. And I thought, yeah, I need forgiveness too. And he said several things that rung true. The truth of the scriptures through the mouth of the instrument, the preacher. God used that to change my life. And that's a biblical principle. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 21, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. So preaching leads to practicing. Now not always. I have to say that because somebody is saying, well I know a lot of people who hear preaching and they don't practice it.

Exactly. There are exceptions to that. In fact, hearing great preaching, even the apostles preaching, isn't enough.

There are several examples of that. Ananias and Sapphira, Acts chapter 5, a husband and wife team. They were hypocrites. They lied to the Holy Spirit. But they heard the preaching of Peter and John, the apostles. It wasn't enough. Acts chapter 15, there was a group of legalists who arose dividing the church.

You've got to be circumcised. You've got to keep the law of Moses to be saved. Even though they had been hearing great preaching by the apostles. And perhaps the best example is Judas Iscariot. He heard the best preacher ever, the Lord Jesus Christ.

But hearing that wasn't enough because he didn't respond to it deep in his core of his being. Now the general rule, however, having said that, is that people who were exposed to the truth through the doctrinal preaching of the apostles became practicing Christians and put into practice the principles they were taught as a general rule. So if you look with me at chapter 4 for just a moment, verse 1. Now as they spoke to the people, those are the preachers speaking. The priests, the captain of the temple, the Sadducees came upon them being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

And they laid hands on them and put them in custody until the next day for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed. And the number of the men came to be about 5,000.

Now that's just the male count. It was a very large response. Look at chapter 5, the end of chapter 5, verse 42. And daily in the temple and in every house they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. Look over at chapter 6, verse 7. Then the word of God spread and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of priests were obedient to the faith.

So that's the full picture. As these apostles taught and preached to unbelievers and believers, they became practicing believers, Christians, and they put into practice the truths that they heard, the truth made its mark through the preaching of the gospel. Romans chapter 10, verse 14.

Let me read that to you. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

You follow that logic? Salvation requires faith. Faith requires hearing and hearing requires somebody preaching to them. So that means to us that preaching needs to be in the forefront of this church. And that explains why when we first began, everything, every service, every time we meet, it is centered upon the truth of the teaching and proclamation of the word of God.

Always. Because that was their priority. And that also explains why we have a big honking pulpit on this platform. I have a lot of people say, gosh, every time I come here, that thing is like this looming pulpit. It's making a statement.

Exactly that reason. We want people to know that is the core, that is the center, that is the foundation, the proclamation of the truth of God's word. So learning leads to growing and preaching leads to practicing.

And thus every New Testament church should have preaching, proclaiming, teaching the word as a number one priority. I've been reading a few books lately. One book that I'm reading just about done with is a book on preaching itself.

I like to do that at least once a year just to keep the edge. And there's a chapter in it by Albert Mohler who's the president of the Southern Baptist Seminary in Kentucky, Louisville. And he wrote something I'd like to share with you this morning. He says, Rarely do we hear these days that a church is distinguished primarily by its preaching. When we hear people speak about their own congregations, generally they speak about something other than preaching. They might speak of a church's ministry.

They might speak of specialized programs for senior adults or young people. They might speak of a church's music. Sometimes they might speak of things far more superficial. But rarely, rarely do you hear a church described first and foremost by the character, power, and content of its preaching. This is because few preachers today are true servants of the word. But the apostles, now those guys, they were servants of the word. And because they were servants of the word, meaning they were not above the word, they were underneath the word proclaiming the authority of the scripture and applying it to people's lives, that's why the church devoted itself to the apostles' doctrine. The apostles' doctrine. Now you might think, well Skip, the apostles have been dead 2,000 years and certainly you're not an apostle.

And you're right, I am not. So, what we do have today, however, is the apostles' doctrine in the New Testament. Their letters, their stories, their writings inspired by the Holy Spirit, and still today, as men of God expound the word of God to the people of God to all of life's situations that is food for change. Jesus said, Man shall not live by bread alone, but every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. So, we should then be concerned to the utmost degree of hearing and applying truth, the apostles' doctrine.

I'm going to tell you something I found just this week, a couple weeks ago actually, but I'd never heard of this. At the beginning of American Christianity, many of the assemblies across our nation, they had not only preachers of the word, but they had exhorters, that was the official office in the congregation. The exhorters, after the sermon, would make personal application of those truths to the people in that congregation. And one of them, during the American Revolution, was a young man by the name of Isaac Bacchus, who, at a mere age of 15 years old, became an exhorter in a congregation.

That's where he started this practice, and let me describe it to you. The sermon would be done, the exhorter would get up, Isaac Bacchus. And him knowing the people in the church would say this, Now, Mrs. Jones, this sermon today means you have to change the way you've been raising your children. Mr. Smith, what you heard today in that second point, certainly means you can't do business the same way you've been doing it in this town. Can you imagine if I had Dave and Neil and the assistant pastors all standing up here, they all know different people in the congregation, they just called you out and said that means you.

People would not tolerate that. That was an interesting practice in early American Christianity. The early church, I don't know if they had exhorters as such, but they certainly held each other accountable to the teaching of the apostles or the apostles' doctrine. The third and final statement I want to make based on the text is that continuing leads to persevering. And this time I'd like you to emphasize the beginning part of that phrase, they continued steadfastly.

Please notice that. It does not say they exposed themselves to the apostles' doctrine. They listened to the apostles' doctrine, or they did it at first, but not later. No, they continued steadfastly. Proskartereo, one Greek word, which means they constantly, consistently, steadfastly persevered in this. They didn't say we're in the apostles' doctrine, but that's because we're just starting out in our church.

But later on, the times will change, and as the times change and people want something different, we're going to abandon that and move on to a different strategy. They stuck with it. And they stayed with it even when they were persecuted, and even when the times got very difficult. And so this whole idea of continuing became important, even down in verse 46. And so continuing daily, they continued those priorities daily with one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to house.

They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart. And it seems like, though these priorities were forged early on, that there was a temptation in this congregation and others to step away from continuing in that. Because later on, when the gospel goes up north to Syria and Antioch and Barnabas shows up, in Acts 11, verse 23, he came and had seen the grace of God. He was glad and encouraged them that with purpose of heart, they should continue with the Lord.

Stick with it, guys. Hold on to what you know, he would say. In Acts 14, verse 22, Paul goes back to the town of Derbe after he had just been stoned.

I mean, with rocks. And he goes into that town and says, strengthening the souls of the disciples, he exhorted them to continue in the faith, saying, we must, through many tribulations, enter the kingdom of God. I just want to encourage you to continue. Continue in the truth. Continue making truth, the word of God, the Bible, one of your priorities. Keep trusting God's promises. And as we just keep at this, we will become perseverors.

We will become overcomers. You know, we often talk about the Christian walk. Well, how's your walk? Just picture what a walk is.

A walk is putting one foot in front of the other, in front of the other, and just sort of plodding along, staying at it. So this morning, you got up and you said, the word of God is important to me. I'm going to church. And you brought your Bible. And tomorrow may be a different day, and you might not feel like getting into the word, but you do it anyway.

You put one foot in front of the other. You take your Bible out. You believe God's promises. You keep the truth as your priority in all seasons of life.

If you lose your job this year, God forbid, keep this as your priority. If somebody in your family dies this year, God forbid you keep the truth of God as your priority. If the world falls apart, which, by the way, the Bible says it will, you keep this as a core value in your life. We've got so many people who follow Jesus and love Jesus when life is good and peachy and great. I don't feel like reading the Bible today.

Life's been tough. Don't be like those described by Jesus in Mark 4, the one sown on stony ground who heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness, but they have no root in themselves, and they endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word's sake, immediately they stumble. Listen, it's easy to follow Jesus in good times. He calls us to follow Him at all times.

At all times. So continue, continue, and you'll become perseverers, overcomers. So, we have managed to cover one half of one verse this morning. Congratulations. But we have enough to get on our mark, to get set, and to grow.

As we close this morning, I'm going to ask you a question. How can you cultivate the priority of loving scripture? I say cultivate because it's not natural, it's not automatic. In fact, natural man resists the truth of God. So how do we cultivate a love for scripture? Number one, get a Bible. Buy a Bible. Have your own Bible.

That means I've got to pay for it. Well then, find someone who has three or four of them and get one of theirs. But have your own Bible. And carry it with you. Even during the day, put it in your briefcase, put it in your purse, get a small one, a New Testament, put it on your PDA or your iPhone, you can get them now, little Bible versions.

I have two or three of them on my iPhone. Carry it around with you. It doesn't mean you have to get the big honking family Bible like I had and put it in the wagon or in the back of the pickup truck. But just get a Bible and carry it with you.

Number two, ready? Bring your Bible with you to church. Now I'm not saying this to make you feel guilty if you didn't bring it, but here's why you should bring it. Because when we say turn in your Bibles too, like I heard as a young man, turn in your Bibles too, eventually I found out where everything was.

It helped me later on because we'd read something at church and then about three months later, I gotta find that verse. Now I know where it is because I marked it. Carry it with you. Number three, bring a notebook.

You say, you lost me there, forget it, not gonna happen. Okay, we give you notes right here, a blank page. Bring a pen, that's all.

If that's too much, a pencil. And take notes, write down cross references, main application points. Number four, tell somebody that you know one thing you learned today at church. Find someone who hasn't been part of this message, email them or call them and just one thing that spoke to your heart that's important, share it with them.

And here's why. If you want to learn something, teach it. Teach it. It becomes ground in when you teach it.

It becomes a part of your fiber when you teach it. And finally, number five, memorize scripture. Not the whole Bible, but I know some that have tried to do that, but memorize key verses when you have your devotions in the morning, when you listen to a sermon on Sunday, just one little section, memorize it. Store up his word. As David said, your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.

It'll be powerful in days ahead. So the Apostle's doctrine, the Bible. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. And back to Ben Franklin's statement, God helps those who help themselves. I never forget my dad quoted that to me. I remember him standing over me, just a brand new Christian, and he said, you know, the Bible says God helps those who help themselves. And I didn't know any different.

I went, okay. Then I went and read the Bible all the way through. I didn't find that verse.

You know what I found? I found the Bible teaches quite the opposite. God helps the helpless, the weak, the people who are broken, the people with baggage, us. That's who God helps. And God is ready and willing to help you today to put your life back together, to redeem your soul, to strengthen you, to face the future. Isn't it nice to know you don't have to face the future alone? God is there to help us face the uncertain with certainty and confidence.

The more we understand that fact, and the more we rely on His strength, the more we'll grow. And if you'd like a copy of today's teaching, On Your Mark, Get Set, Grow, Part 1, we'd be happy to send you one on CD for just $4 plus shipping when you call us at 1-800-922-1888. You can also order online at connectwithskip.com. Or if you prefer, write us a letter. We always enjoy getting mail from our listeners and hearing how God's word is helping you grow in your relationship with Him. So we invite you to share with us when you write P.O.

Box 95707, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87199. And join us next time as we continue to explore practical ways we facilitate growth in ourselves and our churches, and why this growth is so important. That's next time here in Connect with Skip Weekend Edition, a presentation of Connection Communications. Make a connection. Make a connection at the foot of the crossing.

Cast all burdens on His word. Make a connection. A connection. A connection. Connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.