Is The Word Sounding Forth From You?

Introduction

Good morning. I’m thankful for everyone who’s able to be here this morning. I understand that it was a choice to come out and worship God, to learn more about Him and to fulfill what we understand are his expectations of us. To sing praises to Him, to speak to Him in prayer, and to learn and study from His Word. I also understand that there are some things that don’t just happen to, well, happen. I’m mindful of the story about a wife who asked her husband before going to the grocery store one day, do you happen to have ten dollars? And the man stopped. And he looked up and he said, No, I do not happen to have ten dollars. I work hard for my money, I save my money, and I’m waiting to need it for a rainy day.

So no, I do not happen to have ten dollars. Now, as I’m told by just about every married couple, of course, the woman did end up getting the ten dollars and going to the grocery store happily ever after. But the fact is that what the man suggests is a valid point. We have choices to make. Things don’t just happen to work out. I don’t happen to come to church dressed nicely. That happens because either my mom or Kashka tells me what works together. As a Christian, I choose to be able to teach others the gospel because I invest time in studying. You invest time in coming this morning to worship God. That is a choice. That didn’t happen. You didn’t just appear here. And certainly we understand that.

So when we’re going to look this morning at whether or not is the word of God sounding forth from you. Let’s look at our example. Let’s see what we should be pattern patterning ourselves after, and that, of course, is the New Testament church. So open your Bibles with me and look with me in Acts chapter 2. Acts chapter 2. If we want to, of course, behave like children of God, we should follow the template that God gave for his children. Look with me here in Acts chapter 2 at the conclusion of Peter’s great sermon, beginning in verse 42. Speaking about the believers, it’s recorded, and they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And all came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.

And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all as any had need. And day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. But note the last part of verse 47. And the Lord added to their number day by day, those who were being saved. Now I ask you, was that a coincidence that the Lord was adding to those who were being saved daily? Did that just happen to happen? Did God decide, this is the time. I’m going to add people to my church. I’m going to allow people to have the forgiveness of their sins right now, and I’m going to make it happen.

Or was there something else? Well, if we notice back in verses beginning in verse 42 and on down, the brethren there studied. They came together. They taught. Verse 46, day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes. They received their food with glad and generous hearts. Certainly they were studying every day. They would be taking advantage of those opportunities to be with one another and to talk about the goodness of God. And so if we want to be pleasing to God, we should act as we know pleases him. And that would imply talking to people about God. I’m mindful of another New Testament church in 1 Thessalonians. Turn with me there. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 1, beginning in verse 6.

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. This is a church from whom the word of God was sounding forth.

Can that be said about us? Can that be said about the work here at South Bumby? But more specifically this morning, I’d like to examine: can that be said about each and every one of us as individuals? Because the church at Thessalonica was not a building that was attached to the back of a pickup truck that went around and made their example known that taught the Word of God. It was the individuals who went out and reasoned through the scriptures, who studied and taught. So the key question this morning is of all the churches, what is the New Testament pattern for how they grew? Well, first of all, the churches understood perhaps the most important plateau of what we should be doing as a body of Christians.

Look in Matthew chapter 28. We’re going to be going through several passages here at the onset this morning to set the groundwork for what we are supposed to be doing with regards to the Word of God. In Matthew chapter 28, beginning in verse 18, of course, many of you will recognize this as the Great Commission.

Baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always to the end of the age. That was their goal. Yes, they helped out their fellow brothers and sisters. Yes, they sold their possessions to make the needs met of their fellow worshippers of God. But the church, the individuals had a burning passion within them to teach the gospel, to go out into all the world to teach the message of Christ. That’s what went forth from the Thessalonians. You know, that they were waiting, that hope that was in them. Paul need not say anything because of their example and because of their faith. So how did they do it?

1. They Gathered and Studied the Word

How did these churches do that? How did they accomplish that means? Well, we’ll see three specific ways this very morning. And first of all, they gathered and studied the word. We already read in Acts chapter 2 and verse 42 and 46 about how they gathered together. Now look with me in Acts chapter 17. Very simply put, in Acts chapter 17, they made the time to study and to reason. Note whom the Bible deems noble. In Acts chapter 17 and verse 11. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. You can’t teach what you don’t know. We note that these noble people were noble. Why? What does the text say?

Because they eagerly examined the word. Perhaps the most sad excuse that can be given. And I’ve even heard before, even being 21 years old, of not being willing to teach the gospel, not being willing to instruct someone to where they can learn more about the gospel is I don’t know it well enough.

If you don’t know it, read it. If you don’t know it well enough, read it some more. Ask for help. Go to people who know. Be taught. Sit in a class. Teach someone. Talk through it. Reason with it. The text should be known. May we never say to God on the day of judgment, I didn’t know how to teach. Do you know how to live as a Christian? Do you know that Jesus died so that you could have the forgiveness of your sins? He shed his blood to make atonement. If you know that, you’ve got it. We never say that we don’t understand. And if we don’t, there’s no shame in that, but make sure that we make the appropriate time. Set aside the time of day to sit and study the word of God that we know we should be teaching.

We must very earnestly ascribe to avoid the Hebrews chapter 5 distinction. Look with me there. In Hebrews chapter 5. May this never be said of anyone here in Hebrews chapter 5, beginning in verse 11. The Hebrew writer says, about this, we have much to say, and it’s hard to explain since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food. For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness since he is a child. What’s the big problem here? Is it that they had to learn again? I suggest that that’s not exactly what the problem is.

2. The Every Member Concept of Teaching

Verse 12 really tees it up for us. For though by this time you ought to be teachers. That’s the point. It’s one thing to study, it’s one thing to not know, but it’s another thing if it’s inhibiting you teaching the word. That’s how God has set his church up. That’s how he has set up his word to be spread forth. Someone who needs to continually go over the basic oracles of God, who doesn’t know it well enough to teach, certainly would not have the word sounding forth from them, like the church at Thessalonica. But notice another method of the New Testament church at teaching is hinted at here. In Hebrews chapter 5. It’s that every member concept of teaching. Certainly the apostles went around and were instrumental in teaching people the gospel.

Certainly, evangelists were key. Certainly the elders who were appointed had a heavy hand in helping people learn. But that was not all there was. Look with me in Acts chapter 8. In Acts chapter 8 and verse 4. This is very striking to me. This is a very heavy passage. In Acts chapter 8, beginning in verse 1. And Saul approved of Stephen’s execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem. And they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. But Saul was ravaging the church and entering house after house. He dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. This is a bad time.

This is frightening. Can you imagine someone coming to your house and legally dragging you out? Verse 4. Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. These people were being legitimately persecuted for their faith in God. Not because of their occupation, not because of the growing left-wing agenda, because of their faith in God. They were dragged off to prison, jailed for long periods of time, tortured in some cases. Others died because of their faith. And yet, verse 4, what do they do? They scattered about teaching and preaching the word. That word is the very same word that got them jailed, that got them separated and scattered to begin with. And I’m left to wonder do we have enough conviction? Do we have enough burning passion to teach those in Orlando, Florida, under protection of the freedom of religion in this country to teach in all circumstances?

3. Just Teaching Everywhere

But that was how the word was preached then. It didn’t matter about the persecution. The Christians simply taught Jesus. And the one final New Testament evangelistic method was just teaching everywhere. I want you to think about your New Testament teachings for a second, teaching settings for a moment. You have a jail that the gospel was initially taught in, the marketplace, churches, homes, streets, a chariot. What place was off limits to teach the gospel? At what place was this inappropriate or not right? What place could Paul not make instrumental in his teaching of being able to show other people the gospel? There is none. Paul even went into synagogues and was teaching Jesus. The people, the apostles, the evangelists, went everywhere preaching the gospel.

4. What’s the Big Deal? The Power of God for Salvation

That leaves us one big question. Why? How? How do they do this? Is it because we’re more busy that we don’t understand how Paul could go everywhere? What’s the big deal? What about these people? Did they not work? What are they doing for a living? Do they just go about doing nothing but teaching the gospel? Are these people with just 24 hours a day of free time to schedule as they please? Let’s examine what the big deal is. The first hypothesis and the main one is was there nothing better to do? I mean, the apostles’ life was about preaching and teaching, right? That was 100% of it. Well, not exactly. Peter had a wife. Paul was a tent maker. So that statement’s half true. But the most powerful detractor to that argument is why on earth would these people who were persecuted for their faith in God, if they had nothing better to do, go about and keep preaching and teaching the very thing that was getting them thrown in jail to move away from where they were from and to be possibly killed.

Why would you do that? Were they just sitting at home saying, it’s worth my life today? I’m going to take a chance. That wasn’t it at all. There has to be more. There has to be something that made these people say, we’ve got to teach. It doesn’t matter if I’m scattered from here to Canada or to Australia or Asia. It doesn’t matter. I should teach the gospel. But what is that? This is it. Brothers and sisters, the message that the Christians fought for, that they went all about teaching was Christ. They taught about God. How Jesus came and died. Note what Paul says in Romans chapter 1 and verse 16 and 17. For I am not ashamed of the gospel. Why? For it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith. That’s the point. And so when we’re asking, what’s the big deal? The answer is it’s a huge deal. It is the power of God for salvation. That’s why it matters so much. That’s why they taught it. That’s why people died for the message of Christ. Eternity is at stake. Shouldn’t we be just as passionate? Brother Steele, didn’t Jesus come and die on the cross to wash away your sins? Don’t you want to teach everyone about it? Mr. Dennis, didn’t he teach, didn’t he come and show you here’s how you can have the forgiveness of sins? You should tell everyone about it. That’s what the gospel’s about.

It’s not something to be contained. Are we being selfish? God has blessed us with his son. He has blessed us with an easy way in a country that allows us to teach and preach the gospel and given us the will of him right here. And people say, it’s a little different than back then, Greg, because Peter had the Holy Spirit. Let me suggest we have Peter’s sermon. If Peter’s words were that great and he was so blessed, read someone in Acts chapter 2. You can give the same thing Peter did. We have the entire will of God right here in many different translations, available online and in bookstores near you. Are you willing to share your faith? Are you willing to share what it is that gives you an eternal hope each and every day?

And if not, what kind of example in the New Testament are you following? Because I see Christians went everywhere teaching the gospel. I see they gathered daily to teach and to learn more about God. That’s what I see. And so that’s what we must do if that’s what God has prescribed for us. The New Testament church loved God. They taught others about it because it was the best news they could have ever gotten. And they didn’t let anything get in their way. So as we talk about the New Testament church’s example today, let’s focus specifically on what we can do. Please, if you take anything away from this morning, besides the fact that I don’t always dress myself. Take away that it was individuals who taught the gospel and led to more people seeing that Jesus is the Christ.

It was the saints in Thessalonica from whom the word of God sounded forth everywhere. Yes, the apostles were key. Yes, they established elders in all the churches. Yes, there were evangelists, and many people even had spiritual gifts. But it was the saints at Thessalonica. It was the saints in Jerusalem who gathered together, whose example sounded forth. It was the people in Acts chapter 8 and verse 4 who were scattered abroad. In fact, in Acts chapter 8, it even says it was the people who were scattered except the apostles.

5. Is It Really So Different Today?

Oftentimes we think we can’t do it today. That it can’t happen. I’m mindful of a group of Christians in 1959. And I was reading this online the other day, and eight men baptized 25 in eight months. The second year, 25 men were able to restore or baptize 88 souls back into the kingdom. In the third year, 25 other men gathered 102 soldiers for Christ. In two years and eight months, they saved over 200 souls. A combined 53 men. And we say, we can’t do it. It’s not the same now. And I know what you’re thinking. 1959 is not like today, is it? When I say why don’t we see that today? It’s because it’s not 1959 anymore. I get that. Trust me, I’ve seen pictures of some of you decades ago.

I understand it’s not the same today as it was then. But let me ask you, is it really so different? Well, let’s look at some of the key questions. First of all, are people so good and well studied now that we have nothing to offer them in teaching them the Bible? Are we living in a time of biblical scholars? No. People know the Bible less than ever before. In fact, people are more wicked than ever before. I hear that all the time. Our world is hurtling faster and faster towards wicked evil destruction. Well, is there a different solution then? Because if we have the same sinful problem, has there been something that has come up in the past 40 years that has said we have a new solution to our problem for sin for which the wages is death?

Certainly not. The world needs the gospel now more than ever before. And we think that because it was in 1959, that we can’t do that today because people were more open-minded then. Let me tell you, there’s more people in Orlando now than there were in 1959. Even if the percentages go down, the number of souls, and that’s what’s key. This is souls. We’re not talking about numbers, we’re not talking about bodies. We’re talking about souls having their eternity shown and put in their hands, giving them the chance to be educated because we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The question is, what will we answer to him? People need to know. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. The man who came down from heaven and was put into manly form and was crucified, died, was buried, and yet was resurrected to help us defeat the bondage of death.

Conclusion

People need that. So let me ask you: if the church was made up of individuals who taught just like you, how many people would be taught the gospel? How many people would come to know that Jesus is Lord and that He has prescribed us a specific lifestyle? He has called us to an imperishable home in heaven. I’m fully aware of corporate policies. I understand entirely that you cannot just openly talk about Christian things anymore, especially Christian things. But allow me to suggest that each and every one of you spend more than spend, excuse me, less than 24 hours a day at your job. It may seem like a lot, but you have time for breakfast, perhaps lunch, I know dinner. I understand corporate policies are strict, the conversations are uncomfortable, but let me remind everyone here, the first century church was facing jailing and death.

One of those things is not like the other. Where do you place your faith? Where is your life headed? We see, Jesus is worth teaching to everyone. Jesus is worth it all because without him we have nothing. Certainly we should be willing to share with everyone who listens. Because, after all, we should prepare for it. Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 12 all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. I know that a form of evangelism is being a good example. I understand that is key. And it’s been rightly said that that opens the door. But let me suggest that opening the door, while it’s very good and entirely necessary, doesn’t get them through it.

At least if you’re going to open the door, give them the Bible, let them see how to walk through it. We have to do something. If you rely on just opening the door, is that planting the seed? We all can answer that question individually. But God on the day of judgment is going to ask. He’s going to bring up, how many seeds did you plant? How much did my son mean to you? It’s a matter of heart. It’s a matter of our faith. Brothers and sisters, more than anything. It’s a matter of how much conviction do I have as an individual soldier for Christ. In the Batman movie, the last one that came out, it was to end the trilogy by Christopher Nolan. Before Gotham is surely going to be destroyed, and it set up the Batman surely will have to give his own body in defense of his beloved Gotham.

A character says to him, you don’t owe the people anything else. You have given them everything. And the Batman looks to her and says, Not everything. Not yet. What have you not given to God this morning? What do we have left to give? Is it my time? Is it my study? Is it perhaps getting over an embarrassment? Is it perhaps if you’re not even suited to teach, learning resources, meeting people whom you can send those who you want to study with? There are options. We have a library full of books. The internet is full of a web page that we’re building resources. Sermons have been preached. Mr. Bob is one of the most capable biblical studies teachers you’ll ever find. It can happen if we give everything.

What are you unwilling to give in the name of Christ? Recognize that as a Christian, this is our calling. But recognize even before that, if you’re here this morning and you have not been baptized for the forgiveness of your sins, you’re wasting the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus came and he died for you, for each and every one of us as individuals. Yes, it was a bulk purchase, but he did it for each of us as individual souls. You can have your sins washed away. You can begin your life walking towards heaven if you come forward right now as we sing to Christ this very morning. Bring Christ over your life.

Make full life.