HANDOUT FOR SERMON: FUNDAMENTAL VALUES OF CHRIST’S CHURCH.                                                                                              The Amazing and Powerful Name of Jesus. November 5^th, 2023, Manchester, TN 37355

INTRODUCTION:  It is very important that we learn to build our relationships on basic Biblical fundamentals, the Pentecost basics (Acts 1-6) This will help us greatly develop and maintain unity in our fellowship. Understanding the “fundamentals” of the New Testament Church.

Define the word fundamental: a central or primary rule or principle on which something is based. Synomns: basics, essentials, rudiments, foundational, basic principles.

LESSON:

1.HOW IT ALL BEGAN. It is very important for all of us to be familiar the importance of Christ and how He established His Church. It is our goal as the “Manchester Church of Christ” to be a Church that accepts Christ as the head of the Church. To do so we must study and understand Christ and how He “built His Church” (Matthew 16:18).

Acts 1-2

• The baptism of the Holy Spirit was for the Apostles only. Jesus promised this to them. (Luke 24:49) The Holy Spirit was poured out upon them to teach the truth!
• Only eyewitnesses chosen by God became Apostles. (Acts 1:12-26)
• Tongue speaking was known languages for the purpose of understanding and proving the Spirit’s work. (Acts 2:8)
• The point of these facts is that WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THEM! We have eyewitness accounts of the things that happened and were said.

2. THE PURPOSE OF THE WORK THAT JESUS BEGAN. Why did Jesus come to earth and do the things He did? Why did He select men to be “apostles” and why did He send them out? The reason and purpose of Jesus is stated in Acts 2:21 so that “Everyone who calls on the Lord shall be saved.” This is what the Holy Spirit led the apostles to say! We need to say this today. People need to be saved. People need to see their need for Jesus and thus cry out to Him for how they may be saved. Jesus, through His apostles, have provided information from Jesus to lead us to salvation.

What does this statement mean? “Call on the Lord shall be saved.”  We must go to the scriptures and let the scripture show us or tell us what this meant.  We have many examples of people turning to Jesus and being saved in the Book of Acts and we must take note of those and learn from those.

• It starts with believing Jesus is both Lord and Christ. The Holy Spirit used three arguments: miracles of Jesus, resurrection of Jesus, fulfilled prophecy and the day of Pentecost. to prove Jesus was Lord and Christ.)
• It involves repenting of sins that caused the death of Jesus Christ.
• It involves being baptized for the remission of sin.
• It involves following our Lord and Christ in continued service to Him and His mission. (Matthew 16:24-26, Matthew 6:33)

We learn in Acts 2:47 that the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved.” It is the Lord’s Church so of course it is the Lord who decides those who are a part of His Church.  No preacher, elder or any other “adds” people to the Church or Kingdom of God. This is a reality we need to understand and accept with humility.  The Church exists today to point or to lead people to Jesus and the salvation He offers.

3.WHAT DID THEY DO AFTER THAT? After they called on the Lord, repented and were baptized, what did these believers do? The answer is found in Acts 2:41-47 The Apostles and believers became interested in “fellowship.”

Fellowship is spiritual, eternal, and invisible in Christ (Much like faith!).  Fellowship still exists and lives in the same three ways as it did in the 1^st century.

• Worship activities. We worship together because we have fellowship in the blood of Jesus.
• Physical provisions. Fellowship was finding out about each other’s needs! Christians need each other.
• Social interactions. Christians talking and interacting to learn about each other in order to know the need others may have. Christians sharing!

Our fellowship involves all three of three things. These are Biblical as all three of these items are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:41-47 and other passages in the book of Acts. Fellowship, like faith, is proven through visible action.

4.THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST IS CHANGING THE WORLD.

• Acts 2:38 Baptizing in the name of Jesus.
• Acts 3:6 &16 In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, “walk”! The name of Jesus was active and moving in forgiving sin as well as healing people.
• Acts 4:7-12 In the name of Jesus this man stands here, and no other name can save us.
• The name of Jesus is changing the world, not me the preacher or elder, nor the Church.
• The name of Jesus is what changed the lives of people who truly accepted Him and this is called repentance. Acts 2:28 Repent and be baptized.
• Acts 3:19 Repent and turn. Acts 3:26 Turn away from your wicked ways. You can not stand on the name of Jesus and continue to live a life in sin.

THE NAME OF JESUS

• The Name of Jesus Stands (rests) in Power. There is power in His name! Three things every Christian must remember: the miracles of Jesus (Acts 3:6), the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 3:14-15) and the prophecies of Jesus (Acts 3:22). History is an announcement of Jesus Christ. In Acts 4 Peter uses these three items in trying to teach the Pharisees: Acts 4:9 (miracle of healing the sick man), Acts 4:10 (God raising him from the dead) Acts 4:11 (Prophecy in quoting Psalm 118)
• The Name of Jesus Emboldens the Faithful. Acts 3:19-26. Acts 4:19-23 & 31-32 The name of Jesus should influence you. Have courage to stand up for what you believe. Peter stands up and speaks! Shouldn’t we do the same? Tell others of God’s blessings and that they need to turn away from their wicked ways? People may not like it and try to stop you. We must not stop, and we can not stop because of the name of Jesus!  Notice that the whole church, group of disciples, were moved to speak the word with boldness, Acts 4:31-32.
• The Name of Jesus Creates Incredible Fellowship. Acts 4:23-31 Three thousand people found each other. They were together to be His body. We share a special complete togetherness in Christ as His ONE BODY. We should pray for the Church that we understand and get this and become such. The word is powerful and strong but don’t use it as a weapon against our own brethren! We share a special complete togetherness. Read Acts 4:23-31 and ask yourself “Who were the bad guys?” Not those in the Church but those who were outside! The Roman leaders trying to destroy God’s people! Jesus has told us our enemy is SATAN and the evil that is in the WORLD. (1 John 2:15-17, 1 Peter 5:8-10).