WHAT MAKES THE CHURCH THE CHURCH – the Book of Titus gives us the qualities of a sound Church-in Timothy it tells us how to treat Church members and conduct ourselves in Church- in Ephesians it tells us that Jesus is the head of the Church. It tells us in Acts that the early Church turned the world upside down-WHAT DID THEY HAVE, WHAT DID THEY POSSESS? 1. Sense of Community (they stood together, stuck together, knitted together). 2. Passion for Prayer (every time the Church prayed, God moved). 3. Priority of the Word (continued in the Apostles doctrine). 4. Commitment to Worship (glorifying and worshipping God was an automatic response, it didn’t have to be worked up or pumped up). 5. Dependence on the Holy Spirit (the Holy Spirit guides into all truth, not half-truth, not three quarters truth). When you rea the Book of Acts-when it speaks about the Church, it says things like, “gathered together, assembled together, came together, went together.” Everything was together.
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GOD’S WAKE-UP CALLS – Everyone has or will have wake-up calls from the Lord. The wake-up call will cause you and I to take inventory of where we’re at and realize that we are in a war, both spiritually and naturally. There’s a WAKE-UP CALL of SILENCE, which is the story of Samson-Samson wakes up and says that he will go out just like the other times and shake myself free, BUT this time there was no power, no strength, no anointing, no word from the Lord-IT WAS JUST SILENCE. There’s a WAKE-UP CALL of the SOUND OF HIS VOICE. Jesus said My sheep hear My voice and a stranger they will not follow. Jesus also said, My sheep hear My voice-and I know them-and they know Me. You and I should be like the young prophet Samuel who said, Speak Lord, I’m listening. God is speaking to people today- don’t hit the snooze button on God’s alarm clock. What is the Lord speaking to you today- what is He saying-what is he directing you to do?
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