February 3-4, 2007, Acts 2, Selected

LIFE 360!
DOING LIFE AS FAMILY!

STEP #1 - Realize that "It's Not About You, it's all about God!"

*** Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." [New International Version]

STEP #2 - Accept that God Created You ON Purpose and FOR a Purpose!

*** Eph. 2:10 "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." [NIV]

PURPOSE #1 - Living a Life Expressing Our Love for God = WORSHIP!

PURPOSE #2 - Living the Same Love for Each Other as God has for Us = FELLOWSHIP!

*** Matthew 22:37-40 "Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." [NIV]

*** 1 John 4:21 "Christ has given us this commandment: The person who loves God must also love other believers." [God's Word to the Nations]

How do we come out of the world and Do LIFE as God's family?

*** Acts 2:22-24 "Now, listen to what I have to say about Jesus from Nazareth. God proved that he sent Jesus to you by having him work miracles, wonders, and signs. All of you know this. God had already planned and decided that Jesus would be handed over to you. So you took him and had evil men put him to death on a cross. But God set him free from death and raised him to life. Death could not hold him in its power." [NIV]

*** Acts 2:36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." [NIV]

*** Acts 2:37 "Peter's words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" [New Living Translation]

1. BY MAKING THE CHOICE!
*** Acts 2:38-41 "Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. [39] The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call." [40] With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." [41] Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." [NIV]

Repent = to turn or change in action and or thinking!

Baptized = to dip, submerge, immerse, to wash!

*** Acts 2:41 "Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day." [NIV]

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS ABOUT BELIEVING AND BELONGING!

2. BY YIELDING THE COMMITMENT!

*** Acts 2:42a "They devoted themselves...to the fellowship..." [NIV]

"The Christian life is more than just commitment to Christ; it includes a commitment to other Christians." - Rick Warren, PDL p. 137

*** Romans 12:10a "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love." [NIV]

3. BY ENTERING THE COMMUNITY!

*** Acts 2:42-45 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. [43] Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. [44] All the believers were together and had everything in common. [45] Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need."

UNITY WAS DEMONSTRATED:

- THEY STUDIED TOGETHER!

- THEY SERVED TOGETHER!

- THEY WERE SURPRISED TOGETHER!

- THEY PRAYED TOGETHER!

- THEY SACRIFICED TOGETHER!

- THEY SHARED TOGETHER!

4. BY ENJOYING THE CONNECTION!
*** Acts 2:46-47 "They worshiped together regularly at the Temple each day, met in small groups in homes for Communion, and shared their meals with great joy and thankfulness, [47] praising God. The whole city was favorable to them, and each day God added to them all who were being saved." [Living Bible]

ONE ANOTHER!

*** Psalm 133:1 "It is good and pleasant when God's people live together in peace!" [New Century Version]

WE ALL NEED HELP TO LIVE LIFE 360 - AND THAT HELP IS FELLOWSHIP!