Are you “Pentecost Ready?”07/14/12 Highland Hope UMC Acts 2

Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day

about three thousand souls.

So begins the “perfect” church.But how do you cope with 3000 new Christians?

Jesus worked with the disciples for three years to get them ready for ONE day:

They were Pentecost ready!

preparing 120 committed disciple

makers to watch over a growing

Church of 3000+ new believers.

Ralph Neighbour’s Crying Member

Parable:

Sunday school class has started. About

ten minutes into the lesson, class

members begin to notice that a woman in the back row is crying very softly.

When her weeping becomes obvious to everyone, the class leader gently asks

what is wrong. She shares that her

boyfriend left her the night before and continues to cry

inconsolably.

What would happen next in your class?

Is it this kind of class?

Or this kind of class?

Two basic types: what sort of leaders?

Task oriented:Programs &

eventsDirective Leaders

Relationship oriented:Conversations &

familiesLoving Leaders

Acts 2:41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they devoted themselves to (1) the apostles' teaching and (2) fellowship, to the (3) breaking of bread and (4) the prayers.

Jethro Acts1000s 300010050 12010 12+12

The Pentecost Problem

Exodus 18:14-23

Acts 2:46 And day by day, (1) attending the temple together and (2) breaking bread in their homes, (3) they partook of food with glad and generous hearts, 47 (4) praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

3000 new Christians met in homes, watched over by 120 disciple makers trained by Jesus to do this (2 groups each).

As most churches grow larger, they become more structured and business like to prevent chaos

… until structure becomes the problem by stifling dialogue & initiative.

<100 … 300+ … 3000+ … 25,000+

The smallest and the largest churches focus on growing stronger believers in small groups

that function like spiritual families.

These small groups continually ask: “What do you think we should do?”

“What did Jesus say about this?”

<100 … 300+ … 3000+ … 25,000+

You are attending a church – a great tool for growing beautiful Christians.

But the goal is for you to bloom like a flower, not endlessly improve the efficiency of the flower pot.

One advantage of the church of Acts:

Task oriented:Programs & eventsDirective Leaders

Relationship oriented:Conversations & families

Loving Leaders

Other people ran the temple ... all the church of Acts had to do was be a church.

One advantage of the church of Acts:

Relationship oriented:Conversations & families

Loving Leaders

Other people ran the temple ... all the church of Acts had to do was be a church.

The Church of Acts is a nurturing network.

Relationship orientedConversations & families

Loving Leaders

When churches encounter problems, it's often due to relational

problems in the network.

Few churches intentionally work to

organize “fellowship” – which is the relationship

network in a church.

Network leaders trained by ↓ Jesus for three years.

In The Church of Acts People Are Connected in a nurturing network.

Relationship oriented:Conversations & families

Loving Leaders

In The Church of Acts People Are Connected

“I am the vine, you are the branches.”

The Church of Acts is a nurturing network.

Relationship orientedConversations & families

Loving Leaders

As in every genuine church today,

in the Jesus model everyone has someone connected to them in a

spiritual network.

The question is whether you know who

that person is or not.

If the pastor was gone to Annual Conference for a week …

- who would you turn to with a question about spirituality or the bible?

If the pastor was gone to Annual Conference for a week …

- who would you turn to with a question about spirituality or the bible?- who would you turn to for emotional support?

If the pastor was gone to Annual Conference for a week …

- who would you turn to with a question about spirituality or the bible?- who would you turn to for emotional support?- who would you team up with to serve God together?

If the pastor was gone to Annual Conference for a week …

- who would you turn to with a question about spirituality or the bible?- who would you turn to for emotional support?- who would you team up with to serve God together?

WhoAre you

ConnectedTo?

Hint: connecting usually involves food.

and it usually involves fun.

Who are you connected to?

Don't just stand there!

Love one another!

Present Day

Pentecost