Lewis Memorial UMC

One of the things that interest me is the things that interest people! I am talking about the things that are not ordinary, every day kind of interests. These are different then hobbies as it’s not something that you collect or practice or play with. I’m talking about things like bird watching or being fascinated with watching those surgical shows on television or reading the same book 10 times. For me, one of the things that interest me happens when I’m not even thinking about it. Old, falling down, abandoned houses interest me for some reason! As I am driving down a road I have never been on before I’ll see an old house that the roof has caved in or kudzu has grown on it and I find myself wondering and guessing about it. At one point this was a brand new house and the people living in it were excited to be there. It was full of life and all kind of family activities had happened there in the past. Birthday parties and celebrations and family and friends went there for all kinds of reasons. They probably experienced joys and disappointments, good times and bad times, and laughter and tears. I just can’t help but think about all that might have happened when that house was full of life.

The same kind of thing goes through my mind when I see old churches no longer being used. I know that at one time that church was alive and full of the Spirit of the Lord with singing, preaching and praising going on every Sunday. They celebrated weddings, Baptisms and Holy Communion together and they also shared in hard times at funerals through the ages. You see old churches like this especially out in the country and down old dirt roads in the Deep South and even in the middle of big cities sometimes. I saw one not too long ago and it got me thinking about church life then and now.

When we read and study scripture like we just looked at from Luke’s words in Acts I can’t help but think about the similarities and the differences in the church then and the church today. As you read from Acts it is hard not to feel a sense of joy and excitement about the early church. Is that still the same feeling today in churches all over the world? Well, we cannot really answer for all of the other churches out there, but we can for Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church! So, if you were asked about your church here at Lewis how would you answer? Would you say that it is a loving, spirit-filled church where Jesus is loved and preached about and in the center of all that we do? Would you say that Lewis is a place of peace and joy and there is an excitement about the Lord and the ministries here? And would you say that Lewis Memorial is a place where you can worship, serve, and grow in your spiritual walk? If you cannot answer in any of these possible ways then please make an appointment and come see me sometime this week! We need to be the church of and for Jesus Christ! That’s what the early church was all about and churches all over the world need to get back to that way of thinking!

Let’s take a closer look at the early church in Acts and see some great examples to help us be the church today that God has created us to be. What can we learn from Peter and the early followers of Christ? The early church was on fire for the Lord and the people longed for learning and spiritual growth. Is that one of the reasons you attend church today – to learn and to grow spiritually?

What we didn’t read this morning was Peter’s powerful sermon to the huge gathering of people in Jerusalem for the Passover festivities. Peter preached a message that moved people like never before and we see that this resulted in thousands of people giving their lives to Christ and joining together to form the first church. Acts 2: 41- Those who accepted this message were baptized – 3000!

Regardless of who is standing in this pulpit the Word of God must be preached! Jesus Christ must be the topic of every sermon coming from any Christian pastor. Even if I am preaching out of the Old Testament you are going to hear about Jesus as we are Jesus people! Peter preached about Jesus and His miracles, wonders, and signs. He preached about the promises of God through Christ and the love that Jesus taught about while He was alive. Peter ended his sermon that day by saying that all of Israel should be assured that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ and that everyone needs to repent of their sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit! Now THAT’S a sermon! That will preach still today!

So the early church took off because of solid preaching about Jesus Christ! The people were hungry for hope and joy and it was offered to them through Jesus! There is no difference from that day to this day in the life of the church. Good, solid preaching about Jesus is one of the main reasons the church started and one of the main reasons it still exists today! Hearing about the way to salvation is still what people need to hear in today’s society as well as 2000 years ago! Leading people to Christ through the forgiveness of their sins still must take place today! You cannot go wrong when you preach from the Bible! Too many pastors today are standing before their congregations and telling a bunch of stories or quoting from a bunch of books OTHER than the Bible and people are leaving churches as spiritually hungry as they came in. I hear about pastors today who do nothing more that copy someone else’s sermon from the internet and put no enthusiasm into their sermons at all. It is hard to get people excited about the Lord and about the church today if the pastor is not excited about Jesus or the church today! Now I am not a great preacher but I promise you that you will hear about Jesus Christ and you will be in the Word of God every Sunday! It worked then and it still works today!

Another reason the church took off thousands of years ago was because people were willing to surrender to the will of God and to devote themselves to the teachings of the Word. In Acts 2: 42 we read how these early followers devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching. After they repented and surrendered to God’s good and perfect will in their lives they got themselves into a Sunday school class and into a Bible study! OK, it doesn’t exactly say that, but that’s what it means for us today. Acts 2: 42 not only states that they devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching, but it also says that they devoted themselves to the fellowship. They got together with other Christians and learned together. That’s what we do today in Sunday school and in the different Bible studies offered here. This is where we grow the most in our spiritual journey and one of the ways we bring joy to God, joy to others, and even joy to ourselves.

We also read this morning how the early church goers were together and had everything in common. Now this is definitely different than today! We certainly do not have everything in common and Paul went on to write about that in his letters to the early Christians in the churches that he started in Rome and in Ephesus and in Corinth. The Apostle Paul said that we are like the body in that we have many different parts, but all are for the glory of God. Many parts – one body! But the idea behind being like-minded was probably more of what Luke was referring to when he said they had all things in common. Even today, with so many of us having different opinions on things and knowing we can share our own ideas and thoughts openly in the United Methodist Church, being like-minded is so important! The fact is that with our differences we still have to keep the main thing as the main thing! And that of course is Jesus Christ! Look with me at Philippians 2:1-2. Paul wrote this letter to the church he started in Philippi while he was in prison. He gave some very practical advice on how to live the Christian life.

Philippians 2: 1-2 Paul wrote, “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” Being like-minded today, with the same love and the same purpose helps keep the church alive and vital to the world around us! Respecting each other’s opinion and being one in the spirit helps us love one another and follow God’s will for this church.

The church then is very similar to the church now in that if it is going to survive then these things must take place and Jesus must be in the center of who and what we are. I believe with all of my heart that Lewis Memorial is THAT kind of church! As long as we have solid preaching, a willingness to surrender to God’s will, a deep devotion to God and His Word, and through fervent prayer and being like-minded, then we will continue to be blessed and to be a blessing to all who enter these doors. Let’s always strive to be the church that God created us to be!