Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

Living in the Miraculous Pt.6

Well, it's going to be an exiting day on Friday! We're looking forward to what Father has for us. How many of you here--I know a number of the youth--how many that are not in the youth group have not been baptized? Let me see your hands. We are not talking about in the youth group. Some of the young adults and not-so-young adults hold your hands up. Let's look at you. Here is one here, a couple more. Okay. We want to let everybody know--there have been questions going back and forth. Friday at seven o'clock, out on the property, we are going to have the baptism. Everyone who has not been baptized is welcome to come. Everyone who is part of the family, you are welcome to come. People were saying, "Can we come even if we're not being baptized, or a member of our family is not being baptized? Yes, everybody is welcome, praise God. It is going to be a great time. We would encourage you to carpool. If you don't carpool, then four-wheel drive. Otherwise, you are going to be hoofing it for a little distance. We are out there in the country; it's not something where you can drive down to the area where we're going to be having the baptism. Those of you who have trouble getting around; we probably can get you there, so we will look at having some four-wheel drive vehicles to get down to the river portion of this. It's a beautiful piece of property. Many of you have never been there and so we invite you to come and share. It's going to be a great time together, praise God.

Let's turn to the book of Acts. We want to look at what Father has for us this evening. Acts, Chapter 2, is where we left off in our study. We are going to be spending some time seeing what the Spirit of God has to say to us as the church. We have been talking about the fact that the book of Acts is not a history book. We are in it, praise God. The final chapter has not been written of the Acts of the Apostles. A lot of people believe that there are no apostles today. There is nothing in the Scriptures that says apostles ever ceased to exist. The original twelve are gone. Those who God spoke through to bring forth the canon of Scriptures are gone. But the gifts of the Spirit, according to Ephesians--apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers--are still in effect until the church is perfected in their doing the work of the ministry, until we all come to the unity of faith, to the knowledge of our God. These ministry gifts are working in our midst. We are part of the great revelation of His majesty, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. We are His body; we are members in particular.

Chapter 2 goes on and says this. We left off where the admonitions had been taking place, and in verse 41, the Scripture says, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." Verse 38 went on and said, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Let me take just a moment to encourage some of you in this particular way. It is important. Some of you are going to be baptized in water on Friday and you have never been baptized in the Holy Spirit. It can be a package deal for you, praise God. Just be ready to receive the fullness of God, and when you follow Him in the obedience of water baptism, expect the Lord to fill you with His Spirit as you come up out of the water. Just rejoice in the new man and the free gift that has been given to us. Amen? What an exciting thing! I've seen it happen numerous times over the years as we've baptized somebody, and just watched them come out of the water speaking in tongues, praise God. Now, wait until you clear the water. If the Holy Spirit is in charge, I think He will take care of that, praise God. What an exciting thing! The admonition in verse 38 was this, "Repent, and be baptized...for the remission of [your] sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. [Then he says,] Then they that gladly received his word were baptized" (Acts 2:41).

We are going to talk a little bit about the authority of the Word of God as it pertains to the church being the final authority in our midst. Everything that you and I do is dictated to by the Word of God. It is established by the Word of God. It is our final authority. Not only is it the source of our faith, but it is the authority over every thought and purpose. It is the source of all of our government. It is how we govern our lives here as a community. The Word of God is alive. It is powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. The Word is good. It converts the soul. The Word is truth. As we look at the one accord mandate given to us, we want to look at how much authority it really carries here in our midst. Over the years, we have had thousands of people leave this fellowship; and they have left it over one thing. They chose not to let the Word become the final authority. Their emotions, their prejudices, their visions, their inordinate relations with family members--whatever it was--but the one common denominator was they professed that the Word was the authority in their lives, and when it came down to making a decision against self-will, against the flesh, against cultural strongholds, they chose those over the infallible Word of God.

If we are going to be a people in one accord, then we must allow the apostles' doctrine of verse 42 to be established in our midst, and this is what we are going to be talking about tonight. "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls [and then, look how they lived together] And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' [teachings] doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: [as they reverenced the Word of God, the presence of God,] and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things in common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men as every man had need. 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, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." What a great promise! Aren't you looking for people to be added to the church, not only to our fellowship here? Praise God! I am looking to people being added to our fellowship here, to our community, but also to the church. We can reach people out there on the jobs that are never going to come to our fellowship, but they can be added to the church, as we are the light of the world, we are the salt of the earth. It goes beyond us as a fellowship. If they want to be involved in the best community around, this is it, praise God. You are not going to find any place that is trying to do the Word any more than we are, that will have people that love you any more than we love one another, but we are not all there is to it.

We have talked about the drawing away of the spirit of antichrist. What is going to cause us to stand in these last days? The apostles' doctrine, where we all believe the same thing and bow our knee to the authority of God's truth, His Word. Such a great testimony the other day! I was to talking to Harold. Is He here? Has he got here from work, yet? There he is. I was talking to Harold and he just blessed me. Part of his testimony, and I should have known better to ask if Harold was here. I just didn't see him; he is getting so thin over there. He was sharing with me, as he had come to the fellowship, and he was going through some trials, we sent him to one of our deacons. Thank God for Neil Conrad. What a blessing that Neil has always been and is to our fellowship. As Harold went to him and sat down, and Harold did just like you and I, so many times, do. He began to present the problem. He said, "Here's the problem, so and so..." Neil said, "Hold it right there. We're here to talk about you, and I have one thing..." Harold said, "He never told me anything but the Word of God." "Here's the Word to you. Here are the guidelines in which you are required to walk if God is going to supernaturally sustain you, and cause you to be the man that he wants you to be, and place you in the body as it pleases Him." With all of the different pulls on our lives that we go through, and all of the emotional upheaval, and all of the weighty decisions that Harold had to make at that particular time, here was a man that stood before him and said, "Choose the Word. Choose the truth. It will set you free." As Harold was sharing his testimony with me, he said, "I just thank God that I've been in a place where the Word of God is honored, that there is no respect of persons, and that it's the same for every one of us." Harold has been around here for a little while now. He has seen a lot of things come and go, but he was sharing that what gives him confidence is that everything is always referred to, "The Word says..."

What I want to talk about tonight a little bit is that we have spent a long time, a lot of years now, encouraging community and unity. I just want to admonish us not to go over the line and make one another more important than the common cause of pursuing the kingdom of God, and representing the authority of the Word of God and the lordship of Jesus in our lives. What am I saying? Are you here for the people sitting around you, or are you here to become more like Jesus? Do you look forward more to being around the people sitting around you, or the presence of God? Where is your treasure? What is your treasure? The one thing that I have noticed--and the reason I am very comfortable that we have not gone over that line yet--is when new people are added to us, they are embraced and they are brought in. There aren't the cliques, and there is not the need to establish some time of long-standing before you become one of us, but the inclusion of the newborn babes, and the love for the souls that we are just coming to know. Now, of course, long-standing relationships are going to be far more comfortable, and they are going to be secure, but let us never lose sight of the fact that our community, and our unity, is based upon the lordship of Jesus Christ, and not on our commitment to any man. We are not here because Mom and Dad are here. We are here because Jesus is here, because the Word of God is the authority in this place.

When we recognize this public expression of our personal death--baptism--which is basically what we are declaring, we are being baptized into the body of Christ. It is a public profession that we are now members of a new body, a new family, the family of God. Remember all of the persecution that came because of baptisms. In certain denominations, baptisms are a big family gathering, whether you are a pagan, or whether you are a Christian, regardless. We want to invite everybody to our christenings, or our baptisms, or whatever. Water baptism in the church brought a reproach, it brought a separation. Let me remind you of what the Scripture teaches us on baptism. In Matthew 28, when Jesus began to speak about the need for the disciples to go into all the world and preach the gospel, He said, "I want you to go into all nations and preach the gospel. I want you to take those that believe and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost." We come into the book of Acts and notice the phrase "Into all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." We come into the book of Acts, and it is very interesting that, in the book of Acts, there is an emphasis on baptizing in the name of Jesus. Some denominations have sprung up out of this and some people will fight you tooth and nail over the baptismal formula. What is right? To baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, or to baptize in the name of Jesus? Well, I came up with a compromise years ago so that there would not be any fighting over it. When I baptized people, I would always say, "Because of your profession in the Lord Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Ghost." You don't always have time to explain to everybody why this is taking place.

The reason that there was the emphasis in the book of Acts in baptizing on the name of Jesus was because Jesus was freshly being proclaimed as the Messiah, Deity, the Son of God. You had Israel, who believed in monotheism--one God--that did not have a full understanding of the tri-unity of God. As we introduce the person of Christ, there was this emphasis and, because of the hatred for Jesus, the emphasis on the name of Jesus caused that separation. It is accepted today. The christenings are accepted today. The baptisms are accepted today. I want you to understand. Listen very closely. I want you to understand the lives that were given in the kingdom of God because of the very simple act that you are going to experience on Friday. The way that was paved to your baptism was paved in the blood of the saints. Faithful people, who, if they experience what you are going to experience, that simple little immersion in water, would be killed because of it. How precious is it to us? Now, why are we baptized? We are baptized primarily because we have been commanded to be baptized. Jesus was baptized. Jesus was not baptized because of His recognition of the remission of sins. He was not baptized, as the rest of the nation Israel was baptized by John the Baptist, unto repentance. He was baptized as the prototype, the predecessor, of all that the church would experience.

Here we are in the book of Acts. A very simple thing, it seems, to be baptized, but was it really? Let me talk about a few more things in baptism. That is really not what I wanted to talk about tonight. I wanted to get into the one accord and the unity of the church, but since we have this thing coming up Friday, it is an exciting time. Baptism is, especially in our time, an act of obedience. It is our profession of believing that we have received the remission of our sins, and that we have died to self-will, and have been buried under the water, and rise again in newness of life in recognition to His lordship, and as a member in particular, of the body of Christ. Dying to self-will, dying to individualism, and being raised, a member in particular, to be placed in the body as it pleases Him. This is part of the symbolism that is taking place. It is part of the spiritual obedience, and yet, it is really a large part of the church that is so often neglected in our generation.

Look over at Chapter 8, verse 6, for just a moment and we can continue through and look at just a couple of examples of the baptisms. Do you remember the ministry of Phillip? He is down ministering in Samaria and the power of God is expressing itself, and "...Phillip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles..." Simon is moved by this as Phillip is speaking and moving in the power of the Holy Spirit. Simon is seeing these things, and he is drawn to it. He sees unclean spirits, verse seven, being cast out, and people that were "...taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city." This sorcerer Simon, who had bewitched the people, the Scripture says, was giving out that he himself was some great person, verse 9 said. Some declared him as "...the great power of God. And to him they had [great] regard, [verse 11] because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when they believed Phillip [verse 12] preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Phillip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done."

Interesting, isn't it? Baptism is the public recognition of death to all of the other gods and the exclusiveness of being placed into the body of Christ and raised in His likeness and raised in His purposes. You can go throughout the Scriptures and see many indications of this. One of the ones that I like the best is found over in Chapter 18 and, then, I'm going to get back to where we were. Chapter 18 of the book of Acts. Apollos, the Scripture says, "...was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord...And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Pricilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God [the Word] more perfectly." At that time, he had been baptized only unto John's baptism, but he was beginning to experience the fact that there is going to be more. There is going to be a more perfect way. There will be the baptism into the body. There will be the baptism into the spirit, and he expounded more perfectly, the Scripture says, as it came to him. That is what we want to make available. Jeff is teaching the young people the way of baptism and the purpose of it. The need to understand that this is not just a ritual, but a profession of faith, and with it comes an empowering, and with it comes an illumination such as the great orator Apollos experienced. It is important that, on Friday, you expect that same unction, that same visitation in your life.

Let me get back to what I wanted to talk about tonight. We got sidetracked a little bit. Let's talk about this apostles' doctrine. Koinonia is the Greek word for fellowship; we talk about it a lot. This is what the church lived off. Today we have so much individualism. We have so many things to distract us, but the church gathered daily. They did not gather because of legislation. They knew very well, and so do many of us, but we do not want to believe it. It is our life source. In other words, I want to tell you something, and make it very clear. You are not going to make it on your own. The thing that brought the presence of God and the power of the God into the midst of this early church is the same thing that is going to bring it into our presence here. It is not going to be an individual experience. It is going to be a community experience. It is going to be each one of us sowing into the lives of one another. It is going to come because of our community appetite for the visitation of God, our willingness to lay our lives down, and to speak toward the things in others' lives that are prohibiting the visitation of God. The Scripture said here, as we read earlier, "And fear came upon every soul..." (Acts 2:43). Can I ask you a question? Did you come here with reverence tonight? Did you walk into this place and count it common--"It's just church"--or did you come in here realizing this is a holy place? "Take off your shoes, this place is a holy place." Did you come in here expecting God's visitation in your life? To hear a prophetic word that would change you? We have a number of urgent needs in our midst right now. To experience the gifts of the Spirit, the body of Christ rising up, someone here hearing from God, and laying hands on a brother or sister, seeing them healed in the name of Jesus, a reverence for God, a visitation.

As we understand this, we realize how far the twenty-first-century believer has drifted from his dependence on the community, and we have replaced intimacy with information. We probably "know" more about the church and about the Bible than any other generation, but do we know the presence of God? Are we a people continuing to look steadfastly? This is what I really want to try to get across to us tonight. It is not just that you come; you need to want to come. Why are you here? "Well, if I'm not here somebody's going to call me. If I don't come, I am guilty. I'm trying to earn my way." We would not say that because it is not the right doctrine. Do you have an appetite for the presence of God? Do you want to know why those people were there? They had experienced a visitation of the living God. This doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is raised from the dead. "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain, ye are yet in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17). These people realized, "I'm free from sin's power. I'm free from condemnation and He that loved me is there, praise God." "For where two or three are gathered together in [His] name, there [He is] in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:20). Amen? "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and [koinonia]." What is koinonia? Koinonia is not party time; it is not pizza. Koinonia is fellowship around edification. It doesn't have to be quoting Scripture or laying hands on people. When we, as the body of Christ, come together, I want to ask you something. Do we have more koinonia than we have party time? We have mistaken party time, just gatherings, for koinonia. When we come together, we ought to leave edified. I don't care if it's over pizza; whether it's here in the Bible studies, whatever it is you might happen to do. When you come together, do you leave more strengthened and more like Jesus? "[Continuing] stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship." Koinonia.

The apostles' doctrine. What is the apostles' doctrine? This is the apostles' doctrine. When it was penned in the first century, when they were experiencing this, the canon had not evidenced itself yet. The fact of the matter is, the apostles' doctrine is not just when it is taught to us by the ministry gifts of Ephesians. That is why we have the home fellowship groups. How do you spend your time outside this room, men's breakfast, the home fellowship group? When you come together, are you going over what God is speaking to us? You should be daily, steadfastly continuing. Did you hear what God said? Did you hear the Word of the Lord to us? What are you doing with what the Spirit of the Lord said?

It was a blessing the other day to see. We made reference to the fact that God wants to use us, speak to us, and edify the body. When was the last time that someone spoke as the oracles of God? When was the last time that out of your innermost being rivers of living water flowed forth, and brought refreshing to the body of Christ? Since that time, there have been some utterances that were a blessing to us and not just... (I almost said something. I'm going to say it.)...some cheesy chorus that is so easy to do. I said cheesy. Some of these things--The Scripture says come with a psalm or doctrine, but it is a cop-out to just sing a little chorus every once in a while, and think that the gifts of the Spirit are moving in our midst. We are talking about living in the supernatural. We are talking about bringing forth utterances that pierce the hearts of those around us, challenge our lives, challenge the impurities, and take the hands that are hanging down and lift them up, praise God.

We come together continually speaking the living Word that edifies. The Word that is the anointing of God. The Word that sets the captives free. The Word that is like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. The Word that is alive and powerful. The Word, the only source of faith. I don't know who this is for. It has come up in my spirit three times, so I have to share it. As we talked about the Word, and that it is the source of faith, there is somebody here tonight, or more than one, that is downcast. You say, "My faith has failed and I've sinned today through my unbelief, and through my weakness." I want to tell you something. Your faith has not failed; your natural strength has failed. Your faith is still there to let you receive the grace of God, because it's "...by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves..." What you think failed you today was not your faith, it was your own strength. The real faith is, right now, to trust in the grace of God, and believe that you are loved, and you will experience victory, regardless of what you are able to contribute to it. I don't know who that is for, but that's for somebody here this evening.

The Spirit of God came and is ministering in their midst. "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized...And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread." What is that "breaking of bread"? The breaking of bread here is the love feast that they would have. This love feast, the breaking of bread, was not just a picnic. It was a love feast. It was an inclusiveness of brothers and sisters. Part of what this inclusiveness was, was to minister to those that were in need, many times. They would come together and food would be shared because there were those that did not necessarily have it. You are going to see that, as he goes on into the context, and talks about the fact that those that believe had all things together in common. That is a doctrine, but it is not a primary function, and only as it was necessary, but the spirit of commonness is what we should always be experiencing. Not one of us calling anything that we have our own. Are you at that place in the body of Christ? "Well, yeah, I guess so. I've got some old beans in the basement left over from Y2K I guess I'd be willing to share." Do you count anything yours? I am not just talking about your clothing. I am not just talking about your food. I am not just talking about your paycheck. How about your own life? How about your family? "Well, yeah. Hey, I'm the head of my family." Jesus is the head of His church. Amen? We all have specific responsibilities as it pertains to our flock. What I am saying is, your little flock is not more important than the one next to you. No amens on that? The decisions that are made for the community are made for the good of the whole community, and sometimes it means you sacrifice. Sometimes it means you give up what you have to others. It is very important that we understand the spirit behind this.

As it's spoken of specifically here in the book of Acts, it had to do with the sustenance, the sustaining of these people and their very lives. Look what the Holy Spirit says. "They continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship [We'll be back to that a number of more times here in this study. Koinonia], and in breaking of bread, [the love feast, the communion, if you please,] and in prayers." I want to get these points emphasized. The reason we have the corporate praying and the reason we have the prayer list is the very reason that we see in the book of Acts, when the church had come together and made prayer for Peter without ceasing. The commonness of the prayer. I was thinking about something, maybe just trying something, I don't know. It's sure not a biblical order, but I thought it would be interesting sometime just to try, as we're gathered here for prayer, to take a name on that prayer list and just flash it up on the screen so that everybody is praying for the same thing at the same time, and just see what happens. It is just a visible reminder of the one accord, the unity of our faith, the commonness of our needs. They continued in prayer. That is our lifeline. We talked about their steadfast coming together, the delight that they had. I don't know about you, I don't even have to, on a normal basis, get out into all the defilement that is in the world, as many of you have to face. When you come in here for prayer Monday night, Tuesday night, Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday. We are here every night, and we have designated two particular nights. I don't know about you, but as soon as I walk in here, it's like an oasis. When you're driving home, are you looking more forward to that than dinner? "No." You might as well be truthful. The presence of God, the Word of God, is more precious than my necessary food.

These next chapters that we are talking about, and you have already seen it referred to a couple of times tonight. We saw it with Phillip's ministry and we see it continuing. Signs and wonders with great power. What is different? Our appetites. These people were no different from you. These people are subject to like passions the same as we are. The reason for us being called together and having koinonia to where we constantly talk about the things of God, the apostles' doctrine. The reason we have the love feast is to drive all of these idols out of our midst so that we can have one heart and one mind. So that when we come, there is an appetite, a zeal, a oneness, a pursuit, a panting after the heart of God. All that we are doing here in the community is to drive that out of our midst. That is what part of the apostles' doctrine was for. "[For the Word of God was given] for reproof, [and rebuke], for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3:16). The Scripture then says that this is what they were doing constantly. Constantly, continuing "...stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul [reverence for the presence of God]." I believe a fear of missing that presence. I believe a fear of not being accurate in our doctrine. I believe a fear of being inferior in our serving one another and preferring one another. I believe we are talking about a supernatural awareness and an appreciation for the free gift of grace that has been given to us. Because of that, "...many wonders and signs were done by the apostles...and [they] had all things in common."

We do this pretty well. We are pretty good about taking care of our own. So are the Mormons. It is not something that is exclusive to the church. I think we have to get back to the motive. Why are we so close? What is it that compels me to give to meet the need? Where is my value? On the person, or on their profession of who they are as the sons of God? What makes us different from natural family who will help their kids out? Most any parent will do anything they can to help their kids out. Most any natural person will do anything to help their sibling out. My brother is not a believer, but I could call him on the phone. He would do anything in his power to help me if I called him up and said, "Look, I need you to do this." He would do anything he could. Well, what is different here? We are doing it as unto, what? The Lord. We are serving Jesus. We recognize that that person is the representative of the presence of God in our midst. When I love you and you love me, it is Jesus we love. It is the fact that we have so freely received, that we are restrained, compelled, we are debtors. It never even crosses our mind not to do whatever that person needs, because of the love of God, because of the thankfulness, because all that we have is given to us. Nobody can say that anything that we have is our own. There is no boasting in our accomplishments. There is no boasting in our positions here in the body, whether it's one of the pastors or the deacons or the captains. What is there to boast in? You were given that, you were placed there. If you have a tendency to get a little haughty every once in a while, just go back to the Old Testament and realize that the reason God chose the Jews was because they were the least. I think He still uses that principle, if you read the book of Corinthians. "Yeah, I must be really something, God putting me in this position." "Yeah, you are something all right. You're the biggest bozo among us and everybody can see that [the good we see] is God."

Watch how cool this is, as we end for this evening. "[They] sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need." We have socialism, so what is the big deal about this? We saw that socialism did not really work. (Cell phone rings.) That is not a visitor. (An utterance goes forth). Hallelujah! Just take a moment and rejoice with our brother. We do delight in You, Father, and we thank You for Your presence here among us. Father, that there would be pursuit and a new and a refreshing way in the lives of your children. Father, that surely there would not be a commonness among us of Your presence, but a commonness in our pursuit and in our humility, in our service and in our thanksgiving. Create in us, Father, appetites that would glorify You. It is our hearts' desire.

A unique thing was taking place here in the book of Acts. The Scripture makes it clear that those that had the possessions would sell items as specific needs arose. It was not the fact of "I feel led to sell this and give it to Brother So-and-so." The common needs were known by the leadership, because the Bible says when the items were sold, the money was brought and placed somewhere. Where was it? Not given to the person, but placed where? At the apostles' feet. There was such a unity in the community that the needs were known. That was one of the reasons that we will see the office of deacon coming in to continue to perpetuate the needs and the cares of the body being met. That role of the deacon we will see, (I am getting a little ahead of myself) but these were representatives of the people's needs to the apostles. They would bring back the apostles' doctrine and the judgments to the people. The needs were met. No one, then, was preferred. There was grumbling because there was supposedly preferential treatment going to the Hebrews, and the Greeks were a little bit out of sorts. The wisdom of God placed these men that were full of the Holy Ghost, that were not respecters of persons, that were people that would not establish their own agendas or try to build their own kingdoms but were transparent. They were not individuals who would try to usurp. All they were was the conduit between the people and the apostles. Prior to that office being established, we find it operating in this particular order. The commonness, whenever the need was known, it would be spoken. "Here are some needs that we have. If anybody has it placed upon their heart, if anybody has the wherewithal, we have some needs in our midst." The Scripture says that they would go out and sell land and any other type of liquidation that would take place. It would come and be placed at the apostles' feet, and then it would be distributed as it necessitated. What did that do? That took away all personal relationships. "I feel led to give my best friend..." No, it was a community. Everybody is your best friend. Amen? I said, "Everybody is your best friend. Amen?" That is the way it works. Which one of us are you going to let die so your buddy can eat? Yeah, I know what some of you are thinking: you. It does not work that way.

"This is mine, and I'll decide who gets it." It does not work that way. This cuts totally across the grain of our society today. What that type of thinking reveals is that you think it is yours, and it is not. It's God's. That is why there is so much of the structure that we see within the Scriptures, as we go on in the book of Acts that we will be sharing. The church was very structured, but it was not institutional. It was an organism, but it was a structured organism, just like the household is. The head of the home being the man God placed in the oversight of the communities, the gifts, as we have learned over all the years: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. It is for preservation. It is that same spirit that God spoke through Joseph, and in the times of abundance, there was a setting aside, and a laying aside. Can I share something with you, right now? We are living in some days of abundance. Don't use it all up. Some of us are going to need it later. Just be wise. Set some back in the years of abundance because those little skinny cows are coming that will eat it all up. But guess what? There will be enough to last. Amen? The cruse will not fail. As we are moving in the supernatural, there will be the sufficiency of God's presence because of the unity, and the pursuit of the glory of God, and not our own personal ease and gain, as we recognize the worth of the community and not just the individual.

"And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and [the Scripture says] breaking bread from house to house, and did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart." These people had a vision. They were aware of where they were going. They understood the requirements--if that is the proper word--that were being set by the leadership. They said there is a reason we are doing all of this. Do you understand the Scripture says God does not do anything, but that He first reveals it to His prophets? His courses are set and different doctrines established, and different order established. It is as God is bringing wisdom to us as a community, there is a course that is being set. As the Lord is speaking to us, are you doing it gladly, verse 46? Is there a singleness of heart or a double-mindedness? "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (James 1:8). Are you sure of what you are doing? Is this really what God has told you to do? Are you assured that, in your spirit, this is the Word of God? If you cannot do it with singleness of heart, you are moving in unbelief. There will be confusion in every area. You might need to spend some time with the Word of God, and on your face before God, to assure yourself of the course you're on, and then you can move in our midst in peace, with gladness, in singleness of purpose, without any strife, without any bickering, without any self-preference, and then the Lord can add to the church, the Scripture says, such as should be saved.

Father, we thank You for Your Word tonight. We just ask that You would make this a reality, the hour that we are living in, the need to prepare ourselves for that which is ahead. Every type of distraction and noise is going on around us. Are we going to be able to hear in this last day? Is it possible for us to stay single-minded, the mind of Christ? The answer is yes. Is it possible to be free from covetousness, fear? The answer is yes. For as the sons of God, the Spirit of God will lead us into all truth. We ask, Father, that You would make it a reality in each of our hearts. Commonness, coming into His presence. Don't get overly bummed out about this, those of you that were the offenders, but twice tonight, cell phones went off. How long have we known to turn those things off? This is not a restaurant. Can we make mistakes and forget? Of course. Were these two people just disregarding the presence of God? I am not saying that. What I am saying is, how common? This is not just another place or gathering. Do we come in here with the fear of God, expecting to leave strengthened, illuminated, knit together, instructed and empowered to do the work of God? That is why they came together--not just for church. Father, make it real, we ask, in Jesus' name. Amen. Before you go, turn to the person next to you and say, "I'm turning my cell phone off." Amen. Go in peace. God's love go with you.

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