Preached by Chris Broom, 3/4/2007

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Jonathan Ceballos (center right) gets baptized

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Join the Adventure, part 3: Staying Together – Outline

In the first day of the first church (Acts 2:42), three thousand were added to their number and joined the ultimate adventure that believers and non-believers have been talking about ever since. We see an amazing “COMING TOGETHER” of the disciples (part one). That’s how it is in the body of Christ. Today we are grateful for the many that have been added to our own number. We need to care for them. Sadly though, some will fall away (2 Peter 2:20-22). We must be “WORKING TOGETHER” (part 2) on a daily basis to make disciples and then to help them grow so that they never fall away. Only then can we be “STAYING TOGETHER” (part 3) forever in God’s almighty adventure of a lifetime.

Acts 2:42-47
Everyday they met. Teaching, Fellowship, Prayer, Wonders, Miracles, selling of possessions and praise to God went on DAILY. Why?

Matthew 28:18-20
The apostles were trying like mad to teach them to obey everything. The emphasis on teaching here is AFTER BAPTISM. That’s why in the best disciples who ever lived worked on a daily basis to strengthen the young disciples.

In the Chicago International Christian Church (CICC), we believe in discipleship. I dare say that we focus on discipling people to obey everything Jesus commanded more than most churches. We even get persecuted for it. But I believe we are still far from what Jesus has called us to.

What does our discipling consist of? Getting together for services and once a week for a discipling time, having a good time, perhaps reading a scripture or two, a prayer maybe? Jesus calls us to go further. He did not disciple the twelve in this way. He assumed nothing and taught them EVERYTHING. While we have done a good job restoring biblical one on one and group discipling, we are far from where Jesus wants us to be.

How many of you have met for prayer and Bible study at least once a week for the past three weeks with another disciple?

Why don’t we DISCIPLE people better, the way that Jesus would? Jesus discipled his apostles on a DAILY BASIS. He taught them to pray, preach, sacrifice and be humble. Later, only one of the twelve fell away and the other eleven turned the world upside down. After three years the apostles were able to prove Jesus was the Christ using only the Old Testament scriptures. Peter quotes extensively from the Psalms and from the book of Joel. Can you quote from Joel? Have you read Joel? Can you find Joel in your Bible? We are not called to teach people something… we are not even called to teach people everything… we are called to teach people to OBEY EVERYTHING. Again, why don’t we do a better job DISCIPLING people to be like Jesus?

In a book called THE LION NEVER SLEEPS, PREPARING THOSE YOU LOVE FOR SATAN’S ATTACKS, these opinions are given…

1. WE ARE LAZY

2. WE ARE PRIDEFUL

3. WE DON’T UNDERSTAND THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE THAT THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN FACES.

1 Peter 5:8 …SATAN IS A ROARING LION… A HORRIFYING ENEMY.

WHILE GOD HAS NOT ADDED TO OUR NUMBER DAILY, in the past thirteen weeks, HE HAS ADDED TO OUR NUMBER WEEKLY THOSE WHO ARE BEING SAVED.

We have now grown from twenty-nine to fifty members SINCE PLANTING THE CHURCH. THAT’S OVER 70% GROWTH!!

NOW, IT’S TIME TO TAKE CARE OF ALL OUR NEW DISCIPLES. THIS MEANS DAILY DEVOTION TO THE BIBLE, FELLOWSHIP AND PRAYER, AS WELL AS EATING TOGETHER, SACRIFICING OUR TIME AND MONEY FOR ONE ANOTHER AND ENJOYING EACH OTHER’S COMPANY AND PARTNERSHIP.

2 Peter 2:20-22
“If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud.’”

Unfortunately, some will fall away. That is why we must be “WORKING TOGETHER” on a daily basis to make disciples and then to help them grow so that they will never fall away. The ultimate decision is theirs, but we must make sure we give them every chance to make it to heaven.

Therefore, the title of the lesson today is “STAYING TOGETHER!”

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’ Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”

Today is my 17th spiritual birthday. I have made many mistakes during those years, but one thing I can say is that I have never once even considered leaving God or his kingdom to go back to the life I had in the world. NEVER!!

There are two things that we need to constantly say to ourselves if we are going to stay together forever…

1. “I’M A BELIEVER”

We are called to live holy lives, and that bad company corrupts good character (1 Corinthians 15:33). That is why the Bible says come out from them and be separate. So… what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? I mean really have in common? A football team, a work situation, living in the same neighborhood or going through the same difficult class in school? Maybe you feel your friends are basically good people, but that won’t get them to heaven. What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? NOTHING THAT WILL MATTER FOR ETERNITY.

2 Corinthians 4:13-18
Do you hope for your own resurrection through Jesus? Focus on the unseen, the eternal.

IT IS WHAT WE BELIEVE THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING:

We believe that there is one true God (Matthew 28:19), and that his one and only son Jesus came down from heaven, lived on this earth, died on the cross for our sins and on the third day God raised him from the dead (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Corinthians 15).

We believe the Bible is the Word of God and that we are to obey it as the standard for our lives over and above our feelings (2 Timothy 3:16-17; John 8:31-32).

IF YOU GO INTO A CHURCH AND ASK ten DIFFERENT MEMBERS WHAT THEY BELIEVE, CHANCES ARE YOU WILL GET ten DIFFERENT ANSWERS. THAT’S BECAUSE THE BIBLE ISN’T THE FINAL AUTHORITY. POLL one hundred PEOPLE THAT SAY THE BIBLE IS GOD’S WORD… READ IT DAILY? NO. OBEY IT DAILY? NO. BELIEVE YOU ARE SAVED? YES. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?

We believe that anyone who claims to live in him but does not walk as Jesus did is a liar and the truth is not in him (1 John 2: 3-6).

We believe a person is saved by the grace of God and the blood of Jesus Christ, and that a person must, through faith and obedience, reach out to receive this free gift of salvation (Ephesians 1:1-10; James 2:14-26).

We believe that, as with the first Christians, when a person repents and is baptized in water, their sins are forgiven and they will receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:36-41; Romans 8:5-11).

We believe that each and every Christian has a mission to share Christ by teaching all people to be a disciple, baptizing them, and TEACHING THEM TO OBEY EVERYTHING JESUS COMMANDED US (Matthew 28:18-20).

We believe that we must love one another as Jesus did by laying our life down for each other, and sharing the Gospel with others. By this all people will know that we are Jesus’ disciples (John 13:34-35).

AS A BELIEVER, WE ARE PART OF THE FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS WHO HAVE GIVEN UP EVERYTHING TO FOLLOW JESUS (ACTS 2:42, LUKE 14:33). WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU ARE BAPTIZED INTO A FELLOWSHIP WHERE THAT IS NOT THE CASE?

2. “WE ARE FAMILY”

God says in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 that we are to come out from the world and be separate and HE WILL BE OUR FATHER. WE WILL BE HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS.

Romans 8:16-17
“The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs””heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”

Hebrews 12:7-11
“Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

Some say, “Hey, WE ARE ALL children of God.” My question is… ARE YOU? Are you allowing God to be your FATHER and therefore to discipline you.. or are you a rebellious son? A rebellious daughter? Are you GROWN and don’t need your Father’s input anymore?

Matthew 18:15-20 RESOLVING CONFLICT in the family of God
“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”

In our marriage, Theresa and I have learned that certain things should never be mentioned. Divorce is not an option, and therefore we don’t mention that word because it breeds insecurity. We made a vow before God to be together until death do us part. How can you work through and resolve issues if one is always threatening to leave the covenant. In the body of Christ, we are yoked together. God, our Father wants that to breed security. It hurts when we get abandoned, and then we are afraid of abandonment again. WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH QUIET RESERVATIONS.

Matthew 10:32-40
“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn ‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-inlaw””-a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.”

Jesus teaches about the priority of God’s family and our physical family.

It is amazing when we are able to see physical families united in God’s family. (See above picture of Jonathan Ceballos and the rest of his physical and spiritual family after his baptism.)

Disciples must commit to coming together, working together and staying together for the glory of God in an adventure that will save souls.

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