THE LOCAL CHURCH APRIL 24, 2016 PASTOR DAVE KOBELIN

THE LOCAL CHURCH I. Listening to Jesus How have you been listening? What has He been saying? What have you been doing?

THE LOCAL CHURCH The local church is a group of professing believers in Jesus Christ who meet in some particular location on a regular basis.

“ ” Jesus is the hope of the world and the local church is the vehicle of expressing that hope to the world. ANDY STANLEY

Acts 2:41-47 New Century Version (NCV) 41 Then those people who accepted what Peter said were baptized. About three thousand people were added to the number of believers that day. 42 They spent their time learning the apostles’ teaching, sharing, breaking bread, [a] and praying together.a

43 The apostles were doing many miracles and signs, and everyone felt great respect for God. 44 All the believers were together and shared everything. 45 They would sell their land and the things they owned and then divide the money and give it to anyone who needed it. 46 The believers met together in the Temple every day. They ate together in their homes, happy to share their food with joyful hearts. 47 They praised God and were liked by all the people. Every day the Lord added those who were being saved to the group of believers.

Acts 11:20-24 New Century Version (NCV) 20 Some of these believers were people from Cyprus and Cyrene. When they came to Antioch, they spoke also to Greeks, [a] telling them the Good News about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord was helping the believers, and a large group of people believed and turned to the Lord.a

22 The church in Jerusalem heard about all of this, so they sent Barnabas to Antioch Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith. When he reached Antioch and saw how God had blessed the people, he was glad. He encouraged all the believers in Antioch always to obey the Lord with all their hearts, and many people became followers of the Lord.

“ ” CLARITY ISN’T EVERYTHING, BUT CLARITY CHANGES EVERYTHING! WILL MANCINI

Proverbs 29:18 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 18 Where there is no [a] vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.a

Matthew 28:18-20 New King James Version (NKJV) 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore [a] and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. [b]ab

Matthew 22:37-40 New King James Version (NKJV) 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ [a] 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ [b] 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”ab

THE LOCAL CHURCH Remembering Our Past Examining Our Present Discovering and Preparing for Our Future

WHAT ARE WE CALLED TO BE/DO? Joshua 1:1-9 New King James Version (NKJV) 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.

WHAT ARE WE CALLED TO BE/DO? 5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

WHAT ARE WE CALLED TO BE/DO? 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

WHY ARE WE CALLED TO BE/DO IT? Matthew 6:19-21 New King James Version (NKJV) 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

HOW ARE WE BEING/DOING IT? Acts 2:38 New King James Version (NKJV) 38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Hebrews 6:1-3 New King James Version (NKJV) 6 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 3 And this we will [a] do if God permits.a

WHEN/WHERE ARE WE EFFECTIVE? Matthew 13:8 New King James Version (NKJV) 8 But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

WHERE ARE WE GOING? Revelation 5:11-13 New King James Version (NKJV) 11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!” 13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power Be to Him who sits on the throne, And to the Lamb, forever and ever!” [a]a

THE LOCAL CHURCH TODAY, WHAT PART OF DISCOVERY PROCESS ENERGIZES YOU MOST? WHY?