More Thoughts on Preaching

This week we wrapped up our study of Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost, which is really a defense of salvation theology. Sure it explains the gifts of tongues and the personhood of Jesus, but ulitmately the sermon is a call to salvation. Peter's remarks on the pouring out of the Spirit is that the Jews (regardless of how religious) are not the true sons of God as evidenced by their lack of the Spirit.

All of Peter's remarks about Jesus are not merely historical for the people are said to already know the history of Jesus; in fact, Peter states that these men listening to his sermon were participants in His death and witnesses of His resurrection. What Peter is doing in his remarks on Jesus is stating that Jesus is the giver of the Spirit as attested to by His life, death, resurrection and ascension. All of these claims are not about mere history or theology but about calling people to a response. Peter is imploring these devout Jews to change their view of Jesus.

All Christians possess the Spirit and, therefore, all Christians are called and enabled to preach. But when we preach, we must preach so as to call people to a response about JESUS. It is not enough to stimulate people to good works or thoughts on God; we must call people to Jesus.

Acts 2:14-41.

A First Win

This Sunday we had an incredible move of the Spirit take place. It all began on Friday when we discovered that our lease at the public school would be renewed through the summer. This was an incredible answer to prayer and allows us to focus on what matters: people meeting Jesus.

Friday's events got even better when we received word that USAToday would be joining us for service on Sunday. They had heard about our "housing dilemma" and wanted a local church to highlight in NYC. Following a phone interview, they decided it would be really cool to take pictures of a service, interview our folks, and see what "portable church" is really all about. Oh, they would give our church national media attention for free...

When Sunday arrived, I still had told no one of the news media joining us for service. If people were going to come to church and serve the Body, then they were going to have to do it for the right reasons, not merely to get on camera. Sure enough, everyone on our Setup team arrived on time and ready to work. Needless to say, the media was very impressed to see a church of 50 have 20 people arrive 2 hours before church to work in the heat without coffee or compensation.

Oh, and I didn't tell the media that this Sunday was also BAPTISM Sunday...

With 45 people in attendance this week, the church was truly visible and unified. No one cared about the news crew being there, they were thrilled that Jesus was present and His mission shining clear for all to see. People worshipped, soaked up the Word, and were excited to see five people baptized...only 9 people ended up getting baptized.

Following the sermon from Acts 2:37-41, four people from the audience spontaneous responded to the Holy Spirit's call to be baptized. They didn't do it because of emotions or as a publicity stunt. These people were moved by God, saved, and led into obedient righteousness. It was awesome and the pictures scream a MILLION words to the glory of God!

I want to close by stating that this is a FIRST win of many for the church. The month of June was a defining moment for us as a church, and I believe one of refinement. Instead of freaking out in the face of adversity (well, maybe a little freaking out at times...), we dug into Jesus, His Word and listened to the Holy Spirit. We are a new church with new, cleared mission and more dedicated people united around a common goal: Jesus' fame. We are all MISSIONARIES ready to be trained and sent out so that spontaneous baptisms are the normal experience.

Jesus said that He came to "seek and save the Lost." We are the means of extending that grace to others (Matt. 28:19-20), and when we go out in His name people are saved supernaturally! Let's go, Church.

Thoughts on Preaching

Acts 2 is an incredible passage for numerous reasons. In addition to its declaration of the Spirit's coming and the radical move He had on the early church, the passage also teaches us much in regards to the preaching of the Gospel. Peter proves to be quite the orator and prophet in Acts 2 and there is much that we (regardless of our occupation) can learn from his sermon.

First of all, Peter teaches us it is necessary to be bold. Without hesitation, the man calls upon the prophecy of Joel and makes known to the people that it is the End Times and that they are on the wrong side of Judgment. In addition to this, he then goes on to proclaim (at numerous points) that those who are listening to his sermon are guilty of the murder of God's Messiah.

Some would like to look at these bold moves by Peter and rationalize them due to the culture and audience of the day; but is this a legitimate rebuttal? Closer examination does not affirm such. The truth is that the people Peter were addressing were no different that any other people of our day. They struggled with the biblical concept of resurrection, the judgment of God, and religious identity. They were arrogant, literal, traditional, and religious; just like our world today.

Peter never backed down from the truth of Scripture because he knew it was true, necessary, and God's gift of grace to mankind. If Peter would not have preached with boldness, then 3,000 people would not have been saved that day.

There is more that Peter's sermon teaches us about preaching, but for now I think it prudent to wrestle with BOLDNESS. Q: Are you bold in your presentation of the Gospel?

Thoughts on the Church

I am not sold on the contemporary model of "church." I believe that our local church recently losing access to its rented facility was the best thing for us at this time. (I am, however, praying for the permit to be renewed at the school because it is a great place for KIDS.)

Everything is changing over here and I covet your prayers. God willing, I will have a formal proposal and thesis to present to your in the coming weeks concerning my understanding and application of a biblical "church."

In short, we (and many others) have been working against our own convictions. The church is to be the incarnate and corporate witness of God, not the mere place we gather for an hour or an individual apart from community...

June Prayer Points

Boy, I am sure am glad we waited to post this month's Prayer Points, because we would have been way off! Following a great month of ministry and supernatural encounters, we were anticipating another great month and the unveiling of a new discipleship and evangelism process. Turns out the Lord has other things in mind.

On June 4th, the NYC School Board successfully sued to ban all churches from using its facilities for worship purposes. This dynamic decision affects over 60 churches, including Forest Hills Community Church. As of June 30, it looks like the church will be homeless...again.

Please join with us in praying for the following:

1 - A Permanent Facility - Actions have already been taken to repeal the court's decision, however, this can take anywhere from a week to several years to go into effect. Pray that the Lord will have His way in this situation and that FHCC will not experience any interruption in its evangelistic and discipleship endeavors. (Tough to get people to go to church when no one knows where it is...)

2 - Qualified Leaders - Church leadership is not for the faint of heart, nor is it for merely a meek personality or a business professional. Ministry is hard and there is no other office or profession quite like it. Pray that God will appoint and train those whom He has called to assist in the ministry here in NYC. The Harvest is plentiful...

3 - Family Protection - The kids are growing up fast, and we don't want to miss it. Ministry is a 24/7 endeavor, but we need time with each other uninterrupted. Please pray for this to be possible and appreciated by all.

Thank you all for your love and support! Without you, we couldn't do what God has called and blessed us to do.