"The Church of One Accord"

Sunday May 23, 2010 Phone: 570.829.5216 Pastor David Miklas e-mail pdmikbbm@aol.com Message Power and Glory in the Church Text: Acts 1:14; I Peter 1:23-2:3 "The Church of One Accord" Introduction: Please turn in your Bibles and follow me as I read from our text found in Acts 1:8-14, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (9) And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (10) And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; (11) Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (12) Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. (13) And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. (14) These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. One of the most profound comments made regarding the early church came from the lips of a man named Aristides, sent by the Emperor Hadrian to spy on those strange creatures known as "Christians." Having seen them in action, Aristides said to the emperor these immortal words which have echoed down through history, "Behold! How they love one another." How often do we hear such words today from those who don't know Christ, but have watched those of us who do? I'm inclined to think that it's much more likely that they say, "Behold! How they judge and hurt one another!" "Behold! How they criticize one another! "Behold! How they gossip about one another! Behold! How they fight with one another! This is the generation that has given new meaning to the shameful practice of brotherbashing and sister-smashing. You would think we were enemies rather than members of the same family. Something is wrong with this picture. The mark of the Christian should be a spirit of unity and genuine love for one another, but the church today rarely demonstrates those qualities. We are looked on by the world as self-seeking and factious rather than loving and unified. You question that? Better yet, sit back and observe what's going on. Are you overwhelmed with the love and unity that exudes from your local body of believers? Or are you saddened and disappointed by the political power plays and petty disagreements that block our ability to get along with one another? Again we come to the subject of the church we have been studying. We have learned that this great institution, founded upon Jesus Christ "for the Glory of God" and empowered by the Holy Spirit, has some important ingredients in it. These are revealed to us by the great church at Jerusalem in Acts 2-8 and the great church of Antioch in Acts 11-14. To summarize these ingredients: Page 1

WORSHIP was in the early church. They WORSHIPPED GOD. They set their focus on God. INSTRUCTION was in the early church. It was a place of "PREACHING THE WORD." FELLOWSHIP was in the early church, they were together. EVANGELISM was in the early church. It was a missionary church. The members carried out the direction of the Lord in Acts 1:8 to be "...witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria and unto the uttermost parts of the earth." PRAYER was in the early church. Prayer created a spirit of unity in the church, Acts 1:14, "These all continued with one accord in prayer..." Prayer created a spirit of power in the church, Acts 2:42, And they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Prayer created a spirit of boldness within the church, Acts 4:31,...when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with BOLDNESS." For a church to be truly blessed of God, it must be a praying church - individually as well as collectively. The people were of one mind and one heart, and God was pleased to answer their requests. FIVE TIMES in the first chapters of the Book of Acts, it is mentioned the church was of ONE ACCORD. Acts 1:14, These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. Acts 2:1, And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. Acts 2:44-47, And all that believed were together, and had all things common; (45) And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. (46) And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, (47) Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. Acts 4:24, And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Acts 5:12, And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. Someone made this profound statement, "Whenever a church is advancing in fulfillment of its obligations to proclaim Christ, you may be sure Satan will be at work; because Satan never disturbs a sleeping Church. The members of such an assembly are no problem to him. But when God's people are wide awake and busy for the Lord, Satan and his emissaries will be there to impede the progress." This statement frightens me, because the Devil always wants to have DISHARMONY. Mark it down: Where there is ACCORD in the church of Jesus Christ, Satan will seek to DISRUPT it. And what's more frightening, he could very well use you to do it. God can do business with a church in ONE ACCORD. I remind you that was a part of the high Priestly prayer of our Lord in John 17:21, where he said "that they (speaking of us as believers) all may be one, as thou, Father, are in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." Here Jesus was praying just hours before His crucifixion that you and I might make an impact on the world because of our unity with Him and with each other. Unity is what He desires for us, not uniformity, but unity; oneness, not sameness. We don't have to look alike; we don't even have to think alike. Page 2

Every vote doesn't have to be 100%. But we must be a unit: our eyes on the same goal, our hearts in the same place, our commitment at the same level. If there is anything that would keep me away from Christ these days, if I were lost, it would be the attitude Christians have toward one another. The Apostle Paul added to this idea of unity in Philippians 2:2-4 where he gives us a 3 dimensional approach to life. We read, "...that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of ONE ACCORD (another way of saying that would be union of souls), of one mind. (3) Let nothing be done though strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves. (4) Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others." For the CHURCH in verse 2 God is concerned about HARMONY. For OURSELVES as individuals in verse 3 God wants us concerned about HUMILITY. For the WORLD in verse 4 God wants us concerned about HUMANITY. Selfishness, conceit and pride are the things that break down our fellowship and erode our unity. Everything you need to know about getting along well in a family, to say nothing of getting along well in a church, is right here in these verses. You want to pull together as a family? You want to pull together as a church in the family of God? It's merely a matter of obeying Philippians 2:3-4. This sounds like something a teacher would say to a roomful of kindergarteners, doesn't it? Yet how many adult problems could be solved if the elementary truths woven into these two verses were the driving force in our relationships with one another? There is one outstanding lesson we must learn from history. Satan's primary strategy involves destroying UNITY AMONG CHRISTIANS. And the only sure weapon that will defeat Satan in any Bible believing church is the power of "One mindedness." Can you agree that at times there will be those things with which you will disagree, but through it all let s be in one accord, literally "Joint Souls" for Christ and the cause of souls? Can we go on singing, "Blest be the ties that bind our hearts in Christian Love." If we want to make an impact on the world around us, then we must understand a fundamental truth first given by our Lord. The fundamental truth is to "Love one another." That's how the world will know and understand we are different. After Jesus had demonstrated the attitude of a servant's spirit by washing the disciple s feet he said to the disciples in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples' if ye have love one for another." It's easy to love Christ for all He is, for all He's done. It's not so easy, however, to love other Christians. Yet that is the command we have been given. That compelling mark of the Christian will be a powerful witness to non-christians. If we want to make an impact on the world around us, this rugged society that is moving in the wrong direction more rapidly every year, we need to do as Jesus said, "love one another." That's how they'll know that we are different. Now with the teachings of Christ and Paul as a backdrop, we are better able to understand and appreciate Peter's comments about love and unity. Peter was writing in I Peter to hurting people. They were scattered, distressed, tested, and even some were running for their lives from the madman Nero on the throne in Rome. It was a dangerous time to be a Christian. Page 3

So Peter comes with some encouraging, uplifting words in I Peter 1:22-2:3, Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (25) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. (2:1) Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, (2) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Notice again would you that phrase in verse 22, "see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently." That is the bonding glue that holds the family and the family of God together. Maybe it's time to pause and take a look inside your own heart. Are you "fervently loving one another with a pure heart?" Has God's light of truth shinned down on your attitude and made your heart right? The old spiritual hymn says it well: It's not my brother, nor my sister, But it's me, O Lord, Standing in the need of prayer. It's not the preacher, nor the deacon, But it's me O Lord, Standing in the need of prayer. What is it about the family of God that gives us this sense of oneness and support? What is it that drew the early church together in "ONE ACCORD?" Peter knew because he was there in that early church. So here in I Peter 1:23-2:3 he gives us FOUR things that ought to draw believers together: First, We are children of the same father. I Peter 1:23, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. In God's family everybody begins in the same way: We are all adopted into that family by faith in Jesus Christ. We all have the same Heavenly Father. We are now all members of the same family as brothers and sisters in the Lord. Second: We take our instruction from the same source, I Peter 1:23-25, Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (25) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. The seed is the Word of God, our reliable source of truth. For that seed to grow and produce fruit in our lives, the Word of God must be embraced and applied. There's nothing automatic about absorbing truth from the same source. We may ALL hear the same Sunday morning message, but unless our ears are attentive and our hearts prepared, that seed will be picked up in Satan's beak and winged right out of our lives. You may sit and listen to truth being delivered, and it can change your life in a moment's time. Yet someone sitting right next to you, hearing the same sermon, can go right on living against the will of God. We have a responsibility, not only to hear the truth, but also to apply the truth. Third: We have the same struggles. I Peter 2:1, Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speaking, In case you are wondering what would keep the church from being in "ONE ACCORD," here's the list. Page 4

Malice is the sin that hurts and injures others. Guile is being two-faced and getting one's own way by having a hidden agenda. Hypocrisy is appearing to be someone you are not. Envy is to want something that someone else has. Evil speaking is another word is slander. Often this is disguised as rumor or sad news or passing on information. Slander is disparaging gossip that destroys one's confidence in another by discoloring or harming that person's reputation. Peter commands us to "lay aside" or literally "strip off" these five garments that belong to our old natures. If you want to move beyond divisions and differences and become of ONE ACCORD in the Lord, lose them. By his grace, let them go! Fourth, We focus on the same objectives, I Peter 2:2-3, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. The objective of all this, Peter simply says to us, "Grow up!" It's all so basic, isn't it? It reminds me of the book entitled, "All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten," where the author said, "Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your mess. Say you're sorry when you hurt people...and it is still true, no matter how old you are: When you go into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together." Let me give you several safe guards in order to keep this unity: Concentrate on winning people to Christ and you won't have time for finding fault. Don't be easily offended. Wounded Spirits are unable to look outside themselves. Recognize the needs of OTHERS, and offer assistance whenever possible. Stay in love with Jesus and the Word of God, and daily express that love to others. Realize and accept that I am a child of God and you are a child of God. In response to Jesus prayer found in John 17, we ought to be the best of friends in Christ. We are all fighting the same enemies - the DEVIL, the WORLD and the FLESH. We are all on our way to heaven, if by faith we have trusted Christ as our Saviour. We all have the same Word of God, the Bible, and We are indwelt with the same Holy Spirit. Folks, I am just like you and you are just like me. We are doing our best for the Master. Each of us at some point will fail and fall short of the name we bear, Christian. Remember, the Bible says, "All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God." There is none righteous, no not one..." I say, look to Christ; look to Jesus. He's to be our example. Our goal is to become more and more like Jesus. Amen! Come on, Peter says, "Let's support one another." He ought to know as he was with that early church at Jerusalem who "pulled together" in "ONE ACCORD." In so doing, we should remember Paul's closing words in Ephesians 4:31-32, Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: (32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Folks, all over this auditorium there are people who need and would appreciate your support in their lives. Think of someone today. Who knows, they may be sitting right next to you. Pray for that individual you have in mind. Ask God to give you the right words and right approach. Maybe you could write them a note. Maybe you could make a phone call. Maybe you could do a kind deed for them today. Page 5

Maybe you could invite them over to share a meal. God knows that your simple action may be the catalyst that causes that individual to gain hope beyond despair. Remember those immortal words of Aristides, which have echoed down through history. "Behold! How they love one another." This week, may our prayer be: Lord, show us the joy of kindness, the long lasting benefits of unity, grace and mercy. Start a work within us so that our love flows from a pure heart. Most of all, Lord, make us like Your Son. May we grow up into His kindness. May we model His meekness. May we walk with His humility. May we reflect His grace, so that others gain new hope. We are so glad to be in your family, so grateful for your love and forgiveness. Use us this week, perhaps even today, to help someone else feel grateful that they are also a part of this family. As we close this service let me ask you, Can you say without a doubt that you have assurance of Heaven, if you would die this very moment? Have you by faith put your trust in the finished work of Christ who died at Calvary to save your soul? *********************************************** If God has spoken to your heart after reading the sermon "The Church of One Accord then right now talk to God about what He has spoken to you. Do you have the assurance that one day you will go to heaven? If you have no assurance that you know Jesus Christ, then I trust you will decide to accept Him as your personal Savior. The Bible tells us in Acts 16:31,...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved... Romans 10:13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. This prayer is here for those who need to ask Jesus to be their personal Savior: I do want to go to Heaven. I know I am a sinner, and I do believe Jesus Christ died for me. I realize I cannot buy this great salvation, nor can I earn it. Knowing Jesus died on the cross and arose from the grave to pay my sin debt and to purchase my salvation, I do now trust Him as my Savior, and from this moment on I am completely depending on Him for my salvation. If you made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior let me know? Please send an e-mail to, pdmikbbm@aol.com and I will send you some literature that will help you in your Christian life. The Weekly SERMON was sent as a ministry of Bible Baptist Ministry, 48 Alexie Rd., Hanover Township, PA 18706. Privacy policy: your e-mail address will not be sold, or shared with any third party. Copy write permission: Because the Weekly SERMONS will be reproduced into other formats, PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE FOLLOWING: The Weekly SERMON in it s original form, without any changes, may be copied and re-transmitted by electronic mail, and copies may be printed for individual or ministry purposes, provided that such copying, re-transmission, printing, or other use is not for profit or other commercial purpose. Any copying, re-transmission, distribution, printing, or other use of the Weekly SERMON must set forth in full the heading that is given before each Weekly SERMON. Any other request for use, please contact Bible Baptist Ministries at pdmikbbm@aol.com or by phone at 570.829.5216. Page 6